Anthony Green and Rahul Nair honoured in 2024 Blavatnik Awards
17 Jan 2024
Professor Green and Professor Nair are named as UK Laureates in the the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK
The 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK were announced today, Wednesday, 17 January, by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences. The Awards recognise research that is transforming medicine, technology and our understanding of the world.
Professor Anthony Green, a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, has been named the Chemical Sciences Laureate for his discoveries in designing and engineering new enzymes, with valuable catalytic functions previously unknown in nature that address societal needs. Recent examples include the development of biocatalysts to produce COVID-19 therapies to break down plastics, and to use visible light to drive chemical reactions. He said:
"It's a great honour to be named the Blavatnik Laureate in Chemistry. I owe this success to the creativity and dedication of an amazing team of co-workers.”
Rahul Raveendran Nair, Professor of Materials Physics, was named Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering for developing novel membranes based on two-dimensional (2D) materials that will enable energy-efficient separation and filtration technologies. Using graphene and other 2D materials, his research aims to study the transport of water, organic molecules, and ions at the nanoscale, exploring its potential applications to address societal challenges, including water filtration and other separation technologies. He commented:
"Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly separation technologies are crucial for sustainable development. My research focuses on studying molecular transport through two-dimensional nanocapillaries and exploring its potential applications in water filtration and other separation technologies. I am delighted to learn that I have been selected as the Blavatnik Laureate in Physical Sciences and Engineering. I am grateful to my past and present research group members, collaborators, and mentors for their contributions to this success."
Professor Green and Professor Nair will each receive £100,000. Now in their seventh year, the awards are the largest unrestricted prizes available to UK scientists aged 42 or younger. This year’s Laureates were selected by an independent jury of expert scientists from across the UK.
Sir Leonard Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, said: "Providing recognition and funding early in a scientist’s career can make the difference between discoveries that remain in the lab and those that make transformative scientific breakthroughs.
"We are proud that the Awards have promoted both UK science and the careers of many brilliant young scientists and we look forward to their additional discoveries in the years ahead."
Professor Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council, added: "From studying cancer to identifying water in far-off planets, to laying the groundwork for futuristic quantum communications systems, to making enzymes never seen before in a lab or in nature, this year’s Laureates and Finalists are pushing the boundaries of science and working to make the world a better place. Thank you to this year’s jury for sharing their time and expertise in selecting these daring and bold scientists as the winning Laureates and Finalists of the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK."
The 2024 Blavatnik Awards in the UK Laureates and Finalists will be honoured at a black-tie gala dinner and award ceremony at Banqueting House in Whitehall, London, on 27 February 2024.
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