Celebrating Researchers 2023 - Your Time to Shine

Recognising the achievements of research staff at Liverpool

Every year, the University celebrates the individual achievements, successes and strengths of our research staff by appreciating and recognising their contributions. The nominations on this page highlight the appreciation of the rich tapestry of who they are and what they bring.

Research Culture and Research Community Champions

This year, in addition to nominating researchers for all their contribution to work and life at University of Liverpool - research staff could be nominated for Champion Awards. These nominations were judged by a panel of postgraduate researchers, academic staff and professional services staff. The winners of the awards are shown below:

Research Culture Champion 2023

Dr Sophie Jones

A headshot image of Sophie Jones

What her nominator(s) said:

1. I have worked with Sophie since I was an undergraduate research intern, right up to my current position as a PhD researcher. Sophie is such a supportive and welcoming member of the history community. She has helped guide me through the process from intern to MA student to PhD student, and I know she has done the same for other history students. She fosters an environment which creates young researchers who can be confident in their abilities, even when the imposter syndrome kicks in.

She is also really great in guiding academics like myself who are first generation university students and understanding that we are an important and valued part of the research community. Sophie always goes the extra mile and takes the time to make sure PGRs feel like their voices are heard and has been so important in shaping how I navigate the world of academia.

2. I would like to nominate Dr Jones for two reasons. As one of the co-chairs of the University’s flagship Research Staff Association (RSA), Dr Jones has done fantastic work facilitating networking and community-building for ECRs within and outside the University. Not only does she provide a critical voice for ECR development on University-level committees, notably the University's Concordat Steering Group, the University’s Research and Impact Committee (RIC), and HSS’s Faculty RIC, she also now sits on a UUK steering group on ECR development – giving her an active stake in conversations that will shape postdoctoral support nationally for years to come. Dr Jones is also an extremely impressive scholar in her own right, and as PDRA on the £1m AHRC-funded 'Libraries, Reading Communities and Cultural Formation in the 18th-Century Atlantic' project she has performed well in excess of her role description - leading on the development of the project's bespoke Content Management System, and taking leadership for the project's work package specifically on North America. She has led project delegations to project partners in the USA for workshops, talks and mini-exhibitions which served to rebuild several of the project's pathways to impact after the disruption caused to international partnerships by the pandemic. Put simply, the project would not have achieved half of what it has achieved so far without Sophie’s creativity, innovation, determination and extraordinary work ethic.

Research Staff Community Champion

Dr Cordelia Dunai

A headshot image of Cordelia Dunai

What her nominator(s) said:

Cordelia is a Postdoctoral Researcher in IVES (Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences). She is one of the main driving forces behind IVES's Postdoc Society and works tirelessly to engage her peers in locally and institutionally organised events and policy related consultation, such as the Researcher Concordat. Furthermore, she devises and arranges activities of interest to her peers, always mindful of their needs and available time. This includes attaining funding and overseeing activities from concept through to delivery.

In the post-covid environment it has proven to be very challenging to engage the researcher community, further evidencing the impact of Cordelia’s efforts. The University's researcher community would be lost without colleagues like Cord, she cares deeply about her peers and the wider researcher community and its really nice to be able to acknowledge her efforts.

Our nominees

We would like to celebrate all our nominees as they all contribute to and support the research environment and community at University of Liverpool. Well done!

Name	Nomination(s)
Dr Tonya Anisimovich	I have appointed Tonya to a total of four AHRC/Research England projects working in an interdisciplinary space at the interface of arts and mental health – a tribute to her excellence and adaptability as a researcher and collaborator. Tonya has undertaken, with quiet initiative and understated proficiency, a wide variety of roles and tasks, including: lead author on journal papers; liaison with external arts and cultural partners; presenting on findings at public stakeholder workshops; contributing to the design and editing of a digital resource, co-created with arts organisations; scripting a film documentary; co-authoring a policy brief; blog-writing; co-ordinating an international workshop series. She has also pro-actively sought out opportunities for career and professional development, for example, teaching on the Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing module of the MA in Health, Cultures and Societies, all of which have recently culminated in her first academic lecturer post (thoroughly-deserved!).
Dr Innocent Asiimwe	Innocent's work ethic is superb and he is a positive influence on everyone around him. I can also say he is very goal-oriented and productive. Innocent is a ready 'helping hand' to whoever asks for help as well. Personally, he has sorted me out a number of times! He sure deserves to be celebrated!
Dr Wendy Asquith	Wendy has led on two innovative co-created digital resources of best practice in Arts in Health as part of projects funded by the AHRC and Research England. The first of these, Liverpool Art of Care, LivCare, celebrates and showcases provision in Liverpool City Region, reflecting on key issues of concern for stakeholders working and participating in arts in health partnerships. The second, Seeing Arts in Health Enacted, is an anthology of global work in this field, recognising the achievements of charitable organisations and creative practitioners from Glasgow to Brazil, the Gaza Strip to New Zealand. Wendy has worked tirelessly not only in diligently liaising with partners and leading the team in this output, but in finding fixes and solutions technically and creatively. It is no overstatement to say that neither output could have been achieved without Wendy and both promise distinctive impacts into the future.
Dr Murielle Baltazar	Murielle is a hard-working and dedicated scientist. Her positive attitude brightens up the whole group.
Dr Charlotte Boott	Firstly, it was my pleasure to work with Dr. Charlotte in the past one year. As a Research Coordinator (RC), she has a strong sense of responsibility. For example, we have regular meetings to track the progress of my research and yearly we discuss the development needs analysis (DNA), which is quite helpful for my PhD and future career. So, when I heard about the activity ''Celebrating researchers'', I think it is a good chance to nominate her for the ''Research Staff Community Champion''.
Dr Melissa Chapple	I nominate Melissa for her excellent achievements in cross-disciplinary research (specifically literature and neurodiversity/arts and mental health), and commitment to overcoming stigma, as well as her stellar track record in, and publication of, work with vulnerable (including autistic) populations. Incredibly, given Melissa’s career stage, altmetric tracking shows that two articles emerging from her PhD are in the top 5% of all tracked research, and she has continued her sterling research impact work on two AHRC/Research England projects. As both a pre and post doc RA, Melissa has shown her prowess as a team member and communicator with an unstinting attention to detail! She has also shown herself to be highly capable of working with a wide range of external partners and participants from diverse personal and professional backgrounds (practitioners, managers, health service-users).
Dr Christopher Culver	In addition to making crucial contributions to planned Fundamental Particle Physics research projects, Chris has also demonstrated research leadership by conceptualizing and undertaking new directions of research, with a focus on novel data science techniques including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Dr Thomas Fellowes	Dr. Tom is a very warm-hearted guy. Whenever I encountered some questions in my research relevant to organic synthesis and PXRD analysis, he is always here and very patient to answer each of them, which made me feel that I am not alone in my PhD. And definitely, this gives me strong support to pursue my PhD and confidence to try something new.
Dr Janette Greenhalgh	Janette does amazing work as a Research Staff Association deputy co-chair. She is so helpful, reliable and organized and truly a great asset to the team. She is also a wonderful and inspiring mentor.
Dr Justine Grixti	Dr Justine Grixti began her postdoctoral research at Liverpool in September 2019, working on a CRISPR project. Justine takes an ‘above and beyond’ approach to getting the job done to the highest standard and her diligent work now contributes to a research collaboration with European partners. Justine has recently assumed additional responsibilities working on a newly funded Long COVID project, which will have an enhanced impact on the wider community suffering from Long COVID and its debilitating symptoms. As well as Justine’s scientific skills, knowledge and experience, she is an affable, reliable and well-respected member of the research group as well as with local, national and international collaborators, always positive and caring towards her colleagues with a ‘can do’, helpful and honest approach and we are very fortunate and proud to have Justine as a member of the team.
Dr Guopeng Han	Guopeng has opened up a new direction in the critical research challenge of identifying solid electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. In work that began in the pandemic, he maintained extraordinary commitment to exploring new synthetic chemistry that led to a material that changes how we think about ion transport in solids. He perfected the chemistry to isolate the material, made the challenging intellectual effort to identify the structural and compositional origin of its properties, and developed new measurement protocols while working closely with colleagues from different backgrounds. His professionalism and exceptional commitment are an inspiration to the rest of the group and his supervisors. This work is now under review in Science and regardless of the outcome is a remarkable achievement. Guopeng has outstanding intellect and determination, and it is a privilege to have him as a colleague. He embodies the very best of postdoctoral research, as he is always happy to train and to help colleagues, and to commit his skills to developing their projects while pursuing his own.
Dr Robert Heaton	Dr Robert Heaton is an enthusiastic and engaged postdoc and a rising star. In addition to his professional approach to research, he engages with colleagues and peers, having recently taken on the role of postdoctoral representative. He drives an active social programme for the PDRAs and PhD students and ensures that this programme is fully inclusive. Rob is a skilled molecular biologist, always finding time to teach anyone in the lab, including beyond his own interests. Rob is also fully engaged in outreach, actively developing new approaches for our outreach programme, particularly with children with special needs.
Dr Lauren Hepworth	Lauren has a diligent can-do approach in her research environment. She leads an important area of research addressing quality of life, impact on activities of daily living and impact on mental health in relation to visual problems caused brain injury. This is internationally-leading research with impact to national policy and NHS/social care. Alongside this, Lauren offers considerable mentoring and collegial support within our Department and Institute through roles as PGR deputy lead and ECR rep. She is always on-hand to offer help and advice to students and staff. She champions research with local and national NHS networks thereby fostering a culture of capacity and capability building, particularly for allied health professionals.
Dr Claire Hetherington	Claire joined the Infection Neuroscience Lab recently and has been a tremendous asset to the team.
Dr Christopher Hill	1. Chris has worked as a hub supporting, guiding a larger research team and playing the translator part between clinicians and scientists in our clinically biased research group. He had encouraged junior and senior clinicians to take part in laboratory research while attracting scientists from a variety of fields to get involved in women's health research. His friendly and inclusive manner is an important contribution to our department as a whole and beyond his obvious scientific excellence, in knowledge and ability, he has been a champion to be celebrated in women's health research, and at the department of Women's Health. 2. Chris Hill is a wonderful supporter of other students and researchers' work. He encourages and fosters critical experimental thinking, and acts as a role model. 3. Chris has supported multiple clinical researchers in developing biochemical, bioinformatics and cellular analysis from his extensive expertise (although he is extremely modest in his abilities and patient with all researchers).
Dr Fraser Holloway	For his efforts developing a PDRA network in the Department of Physics. Fraser is organising events to bring together postdocs from the different clusters, to foster a sense of community and to improve the research culture in the Department of Physics.
Alexandra Hunt	Alexandra has been a Research Assistant since September 2022 and a part-time PhD student since December 2022. She is a pleasure to work with and never phased by working on multiple projects simultaneously. She is the most organised individual I have ever worked with and to date has completed two enormous tasks which I was expecting to take at least a year! Alexandra is enthusiastic, intelligent and never afraid to have a go. I have been particularly pleased to see her willingness to actively engage with all aspects of the Department including public engagement activities and teaching responsibilities. I hope Alexandra chooses to stay working with me for as long as I’m an academic!
Dr James Ingham	James Ingham is playing the leading role in the development of a prototype of the Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR Wand), which is funded by recent awards from then National Institute of Health Research and Cancer Research UK, and which it is planned will be commercialised through a spinout company. "The project is based on his patent for a machine learning algorithm, a patent for the design of the Wand and his development of a provisional marketing and commercial strategy through his participation in an InnovateUK/Cancer Research UK ICURe scheme. He is currently developing a focused commercial strategy and a regulatory pathway for the LDIR Wand in collaboration with consultants. His contacts with senior managers in Phillips, Siemens and GE Healthcare have identified potential commercial partners.
Dr Andrew Jessop	Andrew has developed a novel computational model of the way infants discover words in continuous speech which can not only identify words in 15 typologically-different languages but also simulate effects in a number of classic artificial language learning experiments. His work is notable for his adherence to the highest standards of Open Science and his use of a robust testing methodology which reveals that every line of his code was accessed in the running of his model.
Dr Selina Johnson	Selina has worked tirelessly and developed a truly multi-disciplinary research team to further her important and under-researched area of research. Her attitude to team building and capacity building is commendable and she has sought out to make collaborations with the correct and relevant researchers from a diverse background and geographical locations has been astounding. She is an excellent role model to other researchers too and thus her work should be recognised.
Dr Samantha Jones	Samantha is a rising star in ageing and muscle research. She was an outstanding PDRA who became the key coordinator, bringing together interdisciplinary industrial collaborators and academic scientists to drive the MicroAge project (examining microgravity as a model for human muscle ageing on the International Space Station) to a successful conclusion. Samantha defined the requirements to ensure muscle cells remained viable during the stresses of launch, incubation and testing on the ISS and optimised the analytical methodology, working with engineers to build the functional miniaturised system. She rapidly became the key coordinator, bringing the industrial collaborator and different scientific disciplines together and ensuring all aspects of the project met strict European Space Agency and NASA requirements. She led a team of junior scientists to work with NASA scientists at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch to the ISS in December 2021 as well as engaging with the extensive knowledge exchange and outreach programme. Samantha’s role in ensuring the success of this mission was invaluable.
Dr Revathy Krishnamurthi	Revathy's great voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.
Dr Alison Maclean	Alison is an eager researcher who is strives on opening new boundaries for women's health through research. She has ground breaking research in many aspects of women's health which should be honoured and celebrated.
Dr Bethan Mead	Beth is an outstanding early career researcher who has countless successes, strengths and achievements to be celebrated which will inspire and empower others. Beth holds a prestigious 3-year UKRI fellowship, funded by the Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) Strategic Priorities Fund (only one fellowship awarded nationally). Through this, Beth has independently forged a national profile as an emerging leader in inter-disciplinary food systems research, working strategically across academia, policy and practice. In addition to developing her own research, Beth has showcased her exceptional communication skills and collegiality by developing a network of over 100 ECRs within the wider TUKFS programme and singlehandedly leading a range of career development and support events. She has also led on career coaching initiatives within our department, and is an outstanding ambassador for the University at highly-visible external events where she shares her research with varied audiences from national policy makers to festival-goers at Glastonbury.
Dr Michael Mueller	Michael is an outstanding new PDRA who is employrd to develop the engineering aspects of the new MicroAge II projects. This requires extensive interdisciplinary work to develop miniturised, autonomous hardware to maintain and manupulate muscle cells in microgravity, Michael has background expertise in both biology and electronic engineering and is proving to be an excellent communicator and conduit between these two research disciplines.
Dr Emily Nix	Dr Emily Nix has provided tremendous support to our CLEAN-Air(Africa) team over the last three years. This has included her active role in facilitating improved collaborations with our global health team in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa. She has drafted data management plans, equity and inclusion action plans and helped structure team meetings. She helps facilitate discussions about broader challenges with global health research (equity between UK and African partners) and has trained other early career researchers in qualitative analysis. She has also served as an MPH dissertation supervisor. She also plays an active role at University of Liverpool, including organising our Public Health, Policy and Systems ECR meetings. She has been a participant in PROSPER and has fed back her findings to our research group to help ensure our group’s research objectives are aligned with our broader academic career goals. For these reasons, Emily is a Research Culture Champion!
Dr Franklyn Nkongho	Franklyn joined our team this year and is an amazing team player already making significant contributions. We appreciate his positive attitude and fantastic work ethic.
Dr Johann Ostmeyer	1. Johann has made several high-profile contributions to encourage research staff community in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. In 2022 he initiated a series of weekly coffee mornings for PGRs and PDRAs. He is an organizer of the weekly theoretical physics journal club. Finally, he was a speaker at the 2022 Pint of Science festival, a prominent annual opportunity for community engagement. 2. Beyond his daily research in theoretical physics associated with strongly-interacting qiuantum systems, Johann makes many contributions to the wider research culture in Liverpool and beyond: (i) participation in PLANETAMOS Physics Music Show, combining music with live physixcs experiments, most recently at Annual Theory Meeting in Durham (he is a fine bass). There are both English and German versions. (ii) award-winning recreational research project on the aerodynamics of beer mats (iii) entered the Research Image Competition, using an image presented in a 2022 publication, run by STFC-supported DiRAC High Performance Computing Facility, and subsequently contributed the image to the 2023 calendar. (iv) organises regular coffee-time meeting for postgrad researchers and ECRs in Mathematical Sciences. (v) recently collaborated with Swiss company Art Recognition AG applying Artificial Intelligence to the problem of artwork recognition and validation, resulting in a publication. This work was supported by an Impact Acceleration account.
Dr Rahul Pandey	Since moving to the University of Liverpool as a PDRA in late 2021, Rahul has had a very positive impact on our research group. I am nominating Rahul as a Research Staff Community Champion in recognition of the exceptional leadership skills he demonstrated over the course of several months in mid-late 2022. When I (his PI) was diagnosed with cancer, I was concerned about the affect my illness would have on other group members. Rahul ensured that all of the graduate students in the group were supported, maintained a positive environment, and provided day-to-day oversight of all of the ongoing research projects in the lab--in addition to carrying out his own research. While I was able to continue to work throughout treatment, I wasn't able to be in the lab every day. Rahul provided amazing support to me, and to all group members, over this challenging period of time. He has continued to develop as a leader in the months since, gaining recognition as an Associate Fellow of HEA and helping to shape new research ideas.
Dr Sian Pottenger	Sian's great voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.
Dr Vincent Richardson	I'd like to nominate Vincent as a Research Community Champion for his support of a PGR student in the group. Building on expertise gained before he joined Liverpool as a PDRA, Vincent devised a research proposal to undertake a set of measurements at a facility in the Netherlands. He invited a PhD student to work on this project alongside him, providing the necessary training and guidance to the student and assisting him in the interpretation of the results. Vincent identified new avenues for collaboration, and in doing so provided the members of our research group with new opportunities.
Dr Maksymilian (Maks) Roman	Since joining the University of Liverpool in late 2022, Maks has already had a very positive influence on the research culture. Maks volunteered to be the PDRA representative on the School of Physical Sciences Bullying and Harassment Task and Finish Group. We had regular meetings, over the course of several months, and Maks was a very proactive participant--identifying literature on methods for addressing bullying and harassment, and discussing the benefits and limitations of the various approaches. Maks wrote a section of the final report, and has been invited to serve as a member of the panel that will monitor the implementation of the recommended actions. He is definitely deserving of the title Research Culture Champion.
Serena Saligari	Serena puts a strenuous amount of effort into building a fruitful and positive community of PGRs. She was PGR Rep for the department of Public Health, The Institute of Population Health, and the Faculty of Health and Life Science. For over 2 years, she was a PGR wellbeing ambassador and organised several outdoor activities to improve physical and mental well-being amongst PGRs. She is now PGR Champion for CHASE - Center for Health, Arts, Society and Environment and organises several activities to involve people working in Social Sciences and Humanities (reading groups, presentations events, methods sessions). This includes giving them a space to meet, exchange and collaborate. She also coordinated a Pint of Science evening titled 'the Social Life of Science' on the 22nd of May.
Dr Frances (Fran) Sherratt	I’m nominating Dr Fran Sherratt for innovative work she is leading to make research participation more inclusive for underserved communities of patients. She led on securing funding for research that’s providing novel insights on how health professionals can tailor communication to better engage patients from socio-economically disadvantaged communities in clinical trials. This research is important because socio-economically disadvantaged patients are underserved in clinical research, yet they experience a much greater burden of disease compared with patients from socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds. With a team of collaborators from the Universities of Aberdeen and Sheffield, Fran has also worked with Public Contributors to co-produce guidance to help clinical trial teams to overcome a range of other barriers to trial participation for patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Further testament to Fran’s commitment to improving inclusivity in research is her active participation in departmental EDI work to improve opportunities and conditions for research staff.
Dr Caroline Staunton	Dr Caroline Staunton is an outstanding researcher. As the go-to person for the postdoctoral community in the Institute, she is frequently approached for advice on all matters, which she gives generously. She liaises with management, willing to raise and discuss difficult issues. Caroline is a highly skilled physiologist, quick to conceptualise and master new techniques. This has led to independent invitations to international conferences, a prize for research excellence and has been crucial in the award of two major grants (NIH & BBSRC) and award of a Tenure Track Fellowship from June ‘23. During COVID, Caroline’s concern for others shone through. She organised group chats, supporting and reassuring more junior staff concerned about the situation. Her AFHEA qualification informs her innovative teaching. Caroline enjoys the challenge of EDI and leads our outreach programme including children with autism, epilepsy and severe anxiety as well as “difficult to reach” children.
Dr Krishanthi (Kris) Subramaniam	Kris is an inspirational scientist and an amazing collaborator. Her work ethic and dedication are extremely admirable.
Dr Elizabeth (Lizzie) Sutton	Dr Elizabeth Sutton is a newly appointed Postdoctoral Scientist having recently been awarded her PhD. Lizzie is appointed to our MicroAge project, a challenging project examining the effect of microgravity on skeletal muscle function. Lizzie is enthusiastic with a systematic and professional approach to research which is much needed for this project. She liaises with the MicroAge team and nothing is ever too much trouble. The UK Space Agency requires substantial outreach and knowledge exchange in addition to the science. Lizzie acknowledges the crucial importance of KE and is fully engaged, working with others to develop novel and fun approaches for our outreach programme.
Dr Jacquline (Jacky) Waldock	Jacqueline Waldock is simply a brilliant ECR. She has her own distinctive music-based research interest in soundscapes and sonic environments with a strong track record of archival work, research awards, publications and conferences. But Jacky has shown herself to be highly adaptable across a wide range of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research and impact activity. I first came across Jacky in person when she was appointed impact champion/fellow in HSS and disseminated imaginative and highly valuable strategies for achieving and assessing impact for ICS authors (like myself). But I already knew of Jacky’s talents as a PDRA by repute and was keen to involve her in funded work. Currently, we are working together on a Music and Mental Health evaluation with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, with whom Jacky has created an established and mutually trusting partnership though her innovative ‘Living Music Network’. For both projects, Jacky has successfully applied for Research England funding, all signs that Jacky has an unusually advanced (and thoroughly-deserved) research impact profile which is set to be sustained well into the future.
Dr Lisa Wallis	Lisa started at the UoL on a part-time contract funded by BSAVA Petsavers to conduct research into experiences caring for an ageing dog. She took a steep learning curve with new methods and successfully used her findings to develop the Ageing Canine Toolkit Checklist which is now being used daily by vets and owners across the UK. Lisa is also incredibly collegiate and always keen to help with other projects and tasks such as contributing to undergraduate project supervision. Her success and contribution to the university should be celebrated.
Dr Samuel Whiteford	Sam's voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.
Dr Claire Wilson	Claire is a Postdoctoral Researcher in ISMIB (Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology). She is the key driving force behind ISMIB’s Postdoc Society and works tirelessly to engage her peers in locally and institutionally organised events and policy related consultation, such as the Researcher Concordat. Claire represents her peers honestly and effectively, an approach which has influenced and led to new initiatives, such as ISMIB’s ECR Development Fund. Claire arranges activities of interest to her peers, always mindful of their needs and available time. This includes attaining funding and overseeing activities from concept through to delivery. In the post-covid environment it has proven to be very challenging to engage the researcher community, further evidencing the impact of Claire’s efforts. The University's researcher community would be lost without colleagues like Claire, she cares deeply about her peers and the wider researcher community and it’s great to be able to acknowledge her efforts.
Dr Moon Wilton	Moon is an outstanding early career researcher who works at the highest possible level to deliver complex projects and achieve exceptional results. I am very fortunate to work with Moon on our Horizon 2020 SWEET project. On this inter-disciplinary multi-partner grant, Moon expertly leads and co-ordinates a complex, longitudinal study which has involved screening hundreds of research participants and retaining these individuals on a time-intensive protocol, which combines multiple methodologies (blood sampling, fMRI imaging, food intake, tests of psychological function) and exemplifies her extensive skill set. Moon’s organisational and project management skills are second to none; she leads a team of researchers on the project at UoL, and extensively collaborates and co-ordinates with members of the wider SWEET consortium which comprises national and international academics and industry partners. I wish to celebrate Moon’s exceptional successes, strengths and achievements, and the vital contribution she makes to research at UoL.
Dr Antonia Wimbush	Antonia is in her final year of a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in LCF. Her research is highly original as it draws on cultural representations of exile and on research in state archives. Antonia has delivered workshops about Caribbean migration to school students and university students in Guadeloupe. She is also currently co-creating an exhibition about Caribbean migration to France and the UK to be held in Liverpool in June as part of a conference she is organising. Antonia has been dedicated to undergraduate course design and delivery. She has also been an excellent PG co-supervisor. She is coordinator for the Society for the Study of French History annual conference, which will take place this year in Liverpool, and has played a key role in ensuring our international visibility in the French studies field. External recognition of Antonia’s great potential is seen in her selection for the AHRC PRC (2022-2025).
Dr Joanne Worsley	I have appointed Joanne on several AHRC/Research England funded projects on arts and mental health (one of which, in partnership with Mersey Care, was entirely Joanne’s brainchild). Joanne has shown stellar qualities as a team member and research leader – including acting as first author on publications – and one particularly innovative and impactful output (a co-created digital resource showcasing best practice in arts and health in the Liverpool City Region) was possible in no small part because of Joanne’s sterling work in forging excellent working relationships with arts and health partners, who contributed enthusiastically under Joanne’s expert guidance. This narrative demonstrates that Joanne was already operating at full-time lecturer level before being appointed to a full-time permanent position in Primary Care and Mental Health (UoL) this year, taking responsibility for, and control of her own direction as a researcher, as well as being highly productive in terms of outputs and impact. It also indicates that Joanne is just at the beginning of what promises to be a hugely successful career trajectory in this field.
Dr Wenjing (Wendee) Zhang	Dr Zhang has only been based at the University of Liverpool since summer 2022, however they have fostered a positive culture in our research group. They are a kind and positive person, who brings their personality in every meeting. I have always been impressed with how proactive they are at setting up meetings, running events, hosting visiting researchers, and going beyond to make everyone feel welcome. Research can be a cut-throat world and the characteristics of how Wendee works are the sorts of qualities that we don't value enough. I continue to learn a lot from working with them. They are a worthy recipient of this award.

Name

Nomination(s)

Dr Tonya Anisimovich

Headshot of Tonya Anisimovich

I have appointed Tonya to a total of four AHRC/Research England projects working in an interdisciplinary space at the interface of arts and mental health – a tribute to her excellence and adaptability as a researcher and collaborator.

Tonya has undertaken, with quiet initiative and understated proficiency, a wide variety of roles and tasks, including: lead author on journal papers; liaison with external arts and cultural partners; presenting on findings at public stakeholder workshops; contributing to the design and editing of a digital resource, co-created with arts organisations; scripting a film documentary; co-authoring a policy brief; blog-writing; co-ordinating an international workshop series.

She has also pro-actively sought out opportunities for career and professional development, for example, teaching on the Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing module of the MA in Health, Cultures and Societies, all of which have recently culminated in her first academic lecturer post (thoroughly-deserved!).

Dr Innocent Asiimwe

A headshot image of Innocent Asiimwe

Innocent's work ethic is superb and he is a positive influence on everyone around him.

I can also say he is very goal-oriented and productive. Innocent is a ready 'helping hand' to whoever asks for help as well.

Personally, he has sorted me out a number of times! He sure deserves to be celebrated!

Dr Wendy Asquith

A headshot image of Wendy Asquith

Wendy has led on two innovative co-created digital resources of best practice in Arts in Health as part of projects funded by the AHRC and Research England. The first of these, Liverpool Art of Care, LivCare, celebrates and showcases provision in Liverpool City Region, reflecting on key issues of concern for stakeholders working and participating in arts in health partnerships.

The second, Seeing Arts in Health Enacted, is an anthology of global work in this field, recognising the achievements of charitable organisations and creative practitioners from Glasgow to Brazil, the Gaza Strip to New Zealand.

Wendy has worked tirelessly not only in diligently liaising with partners and leading the team in this output, but in finding fixes and solutions technically and creatively. It is no overstatement to say that neither output could have been achieved without Wendy and both promise distinctive impacts into the future.

Dr Murielle Baltazar

Murielle is a hard-working and dedicated scientist. Her positive attitude brightens up the whole group.

Dr Charlotte Boott

Firstly, it was my pleasure to work with Dr. Charlotte in the past one year. As a Research Coordinator (RC), she has a strong sense of responsibility. For example, we have regular meetings to track the progress of my research and yearly we discuss the development needs analysis (DNA), which is quite helpful for my PhD and future career. So, when I heard about the activity ''Celebrating researchers'', I think it is a good chance to nominate her for the ''Research Staff Community Champion''.

Dr Melissa Chapple

Headshot of Melissa Chapple

I nominate Melissa for her excellent achievements in cross-disciplinary research (specifically literature and neurodiversity/arts and mental health), and commitment to overcoming stigma, as well as her stellar track record in, and publication of, work with vulnerable (including autistic) populations. Incredibly, given Melissa’s career stage, altmetric tracking shows that two articles emerging from her PhD are in the top 5% of all tracked research, and she has continued her sterling research impact work on two AHRC/Research England projects.

As both a pre and post doc RA, Melissa has shown her prowess as a team member and communicator with an unstinting attention to detail! She has also shown herself to be highly capable of working with a wide range of external partners and participants from diverse personal and professional backgrounds (practitioners, managers, health service-users).

Dr Christopher Culver

In addition to making crucial contributions to planned Fundamental Particle Physics research projects, Chris has also demonstrated research leadership by conceptualizing and undertaking new directions of research, with a focus on novel data science techniques including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Dr Thomas Fellowes

Dr. Tom is a very warm-hearted guy. Whenever I encountered some questions in my research relevant to organic synthesis and PXRD analysis, he is always here and very patient to answer each of them, which made me feel that I am not alone in my PhD. And definitely, this gives me strong support to pursue my PhD and confidence to try something new.

Dr Janette Greenhalgh

A headshot image of Janette Greenhalgh

Janette does amazing work as a Research Staff Association deputy co-chair. She is so helpful, reliable and organized and truly a great asset to the team. She is also a wonderful and inspiring mentor.

Dr Justine Grixti

Dr Justine Grixti began her postdoctoral research at Liverpool in September 2019, working on a CRISPR project. Justine takes an ‘above and beyond’ approach to getting the job done to the highest standard and her diligent work now contributes to a research collaboration with European partners. Justine has recently assumed additional responsibilities working on a newly funded Long COVID project, which will have an enhanced impact on the wider community suffering from Long COVID and its debilitating symptoms.

As well as Justine’s scientific skills, knowledge and experience, she is an affable, reliable and well-respected member of the research group as well as with local, national and international collaborators, always positive and caring towards her colleagues with a ‘can do’, helpful and honest approach and we are very fortunate and proud to have Justine as a member of the team.

Dr Guopeng Han

A headshot image of Guopeng Han

Guopeng has opened up a new direction in the critical research challenge of identifying solid electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. In work that began in the pandemic, he maintained extraordinary commitment to exploring new synthetic chemistry that led to a material that changes how we think about ion transport in solids. He perfected the chemistry to isolate the material, made the challenging intellectual effort to identify the structural and compositional origin of its properties, and developed new measurement protocols while working closely with colleagues from different backgrounds.

His professionalism and exceptional commitment are an inspiration to the rest of the group and his supervisors. This work is now under review in Science and regardless of the outcome is a remarkable achievement. Guopeng has outstanding intellect and determination, and it is a privilege to have him as a colleague. He embodies the very best of postdoctoral research, as he is always happy to train and to help colleagues, and to commit his skills to developing their projects while pursuing his own.

Dr Robert Heaton

Dr Robert Heaton is an enthusiastic and engaged postdoc and a rising star. In addition to his professional approach to research, he engages with colleagues and peers, having recently taken on the role of postdoctoral representative. He drives an active social programme for the PDRAs and PhD students and ensures that this programme is fully inclusive. Rob is a skilled molecular biologist, always finding time to teach anyone in the lab, including beyond his own interests. Rob is also fully engaged in outreach, actively developing new approaches for our outreach programme, particularly with children with special needs.

Dr Lauren Hepworth

A headshot image of Lauren Hepworth

Lauren has a diligent can-do approach in her research environment. She leads an important area of research addressing quality of life, impact on activities of daily living and impact on mental health in relation to visual problems caused brain injury. This is internationally-leading research with impact to national policy and NHS/social care.

Alongside this, Lauren offers considerable mentoring and collegial support within our Department and Institute through roles as PGR deputy lead and ECR rep. She is always on-hand to offer help and advice to students and staff. She champions research with local and national NHS networks thereby fostering a culture of capacity and capability building, particularly for allied health professionals.

Dr Claire Hetherington

Headshot of Claire Hetherington

Claire joined the Infection Neuroscience Lab recently and has been a tremendous asset to the team.

Dr Christopher Hill

A headshot of Christopher Hill

1. Chris has worked as a hub supporting, guiding a larger research team and playing the translator part between clinicians and scientists in our clinically biased research group. He had encouraged junior and senior clinicians to take part in laboratory research while attracting scientists from a variety of fields to get involved in women's health research. His friendly and inclusive manner is an important contribution to our department as a whole and beyond his obvious scientific excellence, in knowledge and ability, he has been a champion to be celebrated in women's health research, and at the department of Women's Health.

2. Chris Hill is a wonderful supporter of other students and researchers' work. He encourages and fosters critical experimental thinking, and acts as a role model.

3. Chris has supported multiple clinical researchers in developing biochemical, bioinformatics and cellular analysis from his extensive expertise (although he is extremely modest in his abilities and patient with all researchers).

Dr Fraser Holloway

For his efforts developing a PDRA network in the Department of Physics. Fraser is organising events to bring together postdocs from the different clusters, to foster a sense of community and to improve the research culture in the Department of Physics.

Alexandra Hunt

Headshot of Alexandra Hunt

Alexandra has been a Research Assistant since September 2022 and a part-time PhD student since December 2022. She is a pleasure to work with and never phased by working on multiple projects simultaneously. She is the most organised individual I have ever worked with and to date has completed two enormous tasks which I was expecting to take at least a year!

Alexandra is enthusiastic, intelligent and never afraid to have a go. I have been particularly pleased to see her willingness to actively engage with all aspects of the Department including public engagement activities and teaching responsibilities. I hope Alexandra chooses to stay working with me for as long as I’m an academic!

Dr James Ingham

Headshot of James Ingham

James Ingham is playing the leading role in the development of a prototype of the Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR Wand), which is funded by recent awards from then National Institute of Health Research and Cancer Research UK, and which it is planned will be commercialised through a spinout company.

"The project is based on his patent for a machine learning algorithm, a patent for the design of the Wand and his development of a provisional marketing and commercial strategy through his participation in an InnovateUK/Cancer Research UK ICURe scheme. He is currently developing a focused commercial strategy and a regulatory pathway for the LDIR Wand in collaboration with consultants. His contacts with senior managers in Phillips, Siemens and GE Healthcare have identified potential commercial partners.

Dr Andrew Jessop

A headshot image of Andrew Jessop

Andrew has developed a novel computational model of the way infants discover words in continuous speech which can not only identify words in 15 typologically-different languages but also simulate effects in a number of classic artificial language learning experiments.

His work is notable for his adherence to the highest standards of Open Science and his use of a robust testing methodology which reveals that every line of his code was accessed in the running of his model.

Dr Selina Johnson

A headshot image of Selina Johnson

Selina has worked tirelessly and developed a truly multi-disciplinary research team to further her important and under-researched area of research. Her attitude to team building and capacity building is commendable and she has sought out to make collaborations with the correct and relevant researchers from a diverse background and geographical locations has been astounding. She is an excellent role model to other researchers too and thus her work should be recognised.

Dr Samantha Jones

Samantha is a rising star in ageing and muscle research. She was an outstanding PDRA who became the key coordinator, bringing together interdisciplinary industrial collaborators and academic scientists to drive the MicroAge project (examining microgravity as a model for human muscle ageing on the International Space Station) to a successful conclusion. Samantha defined the requirements to ensure muscle cells remained viable during the stresses of launch, incubation and testing on the ISS and optimised the analytical methodology, working with engineers to build the functional miniaturised system.

She rapidly became the key coordinator, bringing the industrial collaborator and different scientific disciplines together and ensuring all aspects of the project met strict European Space Agency and NASA requirements. She led a team of junior scientists to work with NASA scientists at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch to the ISS in December 2021 as well as engaging with the extensive knowledge exchange and outreach programme. Samantha’s role in ensuring the success of this mission was invaluable.

Dr Revathy Krishnamurthi

Revathy's great voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.

Dr Alison Maclean

Headshot image of Alison Maclean

Alison is an eager researcher who is strives on opening new boundaries for women's health through research. She has ground breaking research in many aspects of women's health which should be honoured and celebrated.

Dr Bethan Mead

Beth is an outstanding early career researcher who has countless successes, strengths and achievements to be celebrated which will inspire and empower others. Beth holds a prestigious 3-year UKRI fellowship, funded by the Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) Strategic Priorities Fund (only one fellowship awarded nationally). Through this, Beth has independently forged a national profile as an emerging leader in inter-disciplinary food systems research, working strategically across academia, policy and practice.

In addition to developing her own research, Beth has showcased her exceptional communication skills and collegiality by developing a network of over 100 ECRs within the wider TUKFS programme and singlehandedly leading a range of career development and support events. She has also led on career coaching initiatives within our department, and is an outstanding ambassador for the University at highly-visible external events where she shares her research with varied audiences from national policy makers to festival-goers at Glastonbury.

Dr Michael Mueller

Michael is an outstanding new PDRA who is employrd to develop the engineering aspects of the new MicroAge II projects. This requires extensive interdisciplinary work to develop miniturised, autonomous hardware to maintain and manupulate muscle cells in microgravity, Michael has background expertise in both biology and electronic engineering and is proving to be an excellent communicator and conduit between these two research disciplines.

Dr Emily Nix

A headshot image of Emily Nix

Dr Emily Nix has provided tremendous support to our CLEAN-Air(Africa) team over the last three years. This has included her active role in facilitating improved collaborations with our global health team in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa. She has drafted data management plans, equity and inclusion action plans and helped structure team meetings. She helps facilitate discussions about broader challenges with global health research (equity between UK and African partners) and has trained other early career researchers in qualitative analysis. She has also served as an MPH dissertation supervisor.

She also plays an active role at University of Liverpool, including organising our Public Health, Policy and Systems ECR meetings. She has been a participant in PROSPER and has fed back her findings to our research group to help ensure our group’s research objectives are aligned with our broader academic career goals. For these reasons, Emily is a Research Culture Champion!

Dr Franklyn Nkongho

Headshot of Franklin Nkongho

Franklyn joined our team this year and is an amazing team player already making significant contributions. We appreciate his positive attitude and fantastic work ethic.

Dr Johann Ostmeyer

Headshot of Johann Ostmeyer

1. Johann has made several high-profile contributions to encourage research staff community in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. In 2022 he initiated a series of weekly coffee mornings for PGRs and PDRAs. He is an organizer of the weekly theoretical physics journal club. Finally, he was a speaker at the 2022 Pint of Science festival, a prominent annual opportunity for community engagement.

2. Beyond his daily research in theoretical physics associated with strongly-interacting qiuantum systems, Johann makes many contributions to the wider research culture in Liverpool and beyond: (i) participation in PLANETAMOS Physics Music Show, combining music with live physixcs experiments, most recently at Annual Theory Meeting in Durham (he is a fine bass). There are both English and German versions. (ii) award-winning recreational research project on the aerodynamics of beer mats (iii) entered the Research Image Competition, using an image presented in a 2022 publication, run by STFC-supported DiRAC High Performance Computing Facility, and subsequently contributed the image to the 2023 calendar. (iv) organises regular coffee-time meeting for postgrad researchers and ECRs in Mathematical Sciences. (v) recently collaborated with Swiss company Art Recognition AG applying Artificial Intelligence to the problem of artwork recognition and validation, resulting in a publication. This work was supported by an Impact Acceleration account.

Dr Rahul Pandey

Headshot of Rahul Pandey

Since moving to the University of Liverpool as a PDRA in late 2021, Rahul has had a very positive impact on our research group. I am nominating Rahul as a Research Staff Community Champion in recognition of the exceptional leadership skills he demonstrated over the course of several months in mid-late 2022.

When I (his PI) was diagnosed with cancer, I was concerned about the affect my illness would have on other group members. Rahul ensured that all of the graduate students in the group were supported, maintained a positive environment, and provided day-to-day oversight of all of the ongoing research projects in the lab--in addition to carrying out his own research. While I was able to continue to work throughout treatment, I wasn't able to be in the lab every day. Rahul provided amazing support to me, and to all group members, over this challenging period of time. He has continued to develop as a leader in the months since, gaining recognition as an Associate Fellow of HEA and helping to shape new research ideas.

Dr Sian Pottenger

Headshot image of Sian Pottenger

Sian's great voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.

Dr Vincent Richardson

Headshot of Vincent Richardson

I'd like to nominate Vincent as a Research Community Champion for his support of a PGR student in the group. Building on expertise gained before he joined Liverpool as a PDRA, Vincent devised a research proposal to undertake a set of measurements at a facility in the Netherlands. He invited a PhD student to work on this project alongside him, providing the necessary training and guidance to the student and assisting him in the interpretation of the results. Vincent identified new avenues for collaboration, and in doing so provided the members of our research group with new opportunities.

Dr Maksymilian (Maks) Roman

A headshot image of Maks Roman

Since joining the University of Liverpool in late 2022, Maks has already had a very positive influence on the research culture.

Maks volunteered to be the PDRA representative on the School of Physical Sciences Bullying and Harassment Task and Finish Group. We had regular meetings, over the course of several months, and Maks was a very proactive participant--identifying literature on methods for addressing bullying and harassment, and discussing the benefits and limitations of the various approaches. Maks wrote a section of the final report, and has been invited to serve as a member of the panel that will monitor the implementation of the recommended actions. He is definitely deserving of the title Research Culture Champion.

Serena Saligari

A headshot image of Serena Saligeri

Serena puts a strenuous amount of effort into building a fruitful and positive community of PGRs. She was PGR Rep for the department of Public Health, The Institute of Population Health, and the Faculty of Health and Life Science. For over 2 years, she was a PGR wellbeing ambassador and organised several outdoor activities to improve physical and mental well-being amongst PGRs.

She is now PGR Champion for CHASE - Center for Health, Arts, Society and Environment and organises several activities to involve people working in Social Sciences and Humanities (reading groups, presentations events, methods sessions). This includes giving them a space to meet, exchange and collaborate. She also coordinated a Pint of Science evening titled 'the Social Life of Science' on the 22nd of May.

Dr Frances (Fran) Sherratt

A headshot image of Frances Sherratt

I’m nominating Dr Fran Sherratt for innovative work she is leading to make research participation more inclusive for underserved communities of patients. She led on securing funding for research that’s providing novel insights on how health professionals can tailor communication to better engage patients from socio-economically disadvantaged communities in clinical trials. This research is important because socio-economically disadvantaged patients are underserved in clinical research, yet they experience a much greater burden of disease compared with patients from socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds.

With a team of collaborators from the Universities of Aberdeen and Sheffield, Fran has also worked with Public Contributors to co-produce guidance to help clinical trial teams to overcome a range of other barriers to trial participation for patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Further testament to Fran’s commitment to improving inclusivity in research is her active participation in departmental EDI work to improve opportunities and conditions for research staff.

Dr Caroline Staunton

Dr Caroline Staunton is an outstanding researcher. As the go-to person for the postdoctoral community in the Institute, she is frequently approached for advice on all matters, which she gives generously. She liaises with management, willing to raise and discuss difficult issues. Caroline is a highly skilled physiologist, quick to conceptualise and master new techniques. This has led to independent invitations to international conferences, a prize for research excellence and has been crucial in the award of two major grants (NIH & BBSRC) and award of a Tenure Track Fellowship from June ‘23.

During COVID, Caroline’s concern for others shone through. She organised group chats, supporting and reassuring more junior staff concerned about the situation. Her AFHEA qualification informs her innovative teaching. Caroline enjoys the challenge of EDI and leads our outreach programme including children with autism, epilepsy and severe anxiety as well as “difficult to reach” children.

Dr Krishanthi (Kris) Subramaniam

Headshot of Krishanthi Subramaniam

Kris is an inspirational scientist and an amazing collaborator. Her work ethic and dedication are extremely admirable.

Dr Elizabeth (Lizzie) Sutton

Headshot of Elizabeth Sutton

Dr Elizabeth Sutton is a newly appointed Postdoctoral Scientist having recently been awarded her PhD. Lizzie is appointed to our MicroAge project, a challenging project examining the effect of microgravity on skeletal muscle function.

Lizzie is enthusiastic with a systematic and professional approach to research which is much needed for this project. She liaises with the MicroAge team and nothing is ever too much trouble. The UK Space Agency requires substantial outreach and knowledge exchange in addition to the science. Lizzie acknowledges the crucial importance of KE and is fully engaged, working with others to develop novel and fun approaches for our outreach programme.

Dr Jacquline (Jacky) Waldock

Headshot of Jacqueline Waldock

Jacqueline Waldock is simply a brilliant ECR. She has her own distinctive music-based research interest in soundscapes and sonic environments with a strong track record of archival work, research awards, publications and conferences. But Jacky has shown herself to be highly adaptable across a wide range of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research and impact activity. I first came across Jacky in person when she was appointed impact champion/fellow in HSS and disseminated imaginative and highly valuable strategies for achieving and assessing impact for ICS authors (like myself). But I already knew of Jacky’s talents as a PDRA by repute and was keen to involve her in funded work.

Currently, we are working together on a Music and Mental Health evaluation with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, with whom Jacky has created an established and mutually trusting partnership though her innovative ‘Living Music Network’. For both projects, Jacky has successfully applied for Research England funding, all signs that Jacky has an unusually advanced (and thoroughly-deserved) research impact profile which is set to be sustained well into the future.

Dr Lisa Wallis

A headshot image of Lisa Wallis

Lisa started at the UoL on a part-time contract funded by BSAVA Petsavers to conduct research into experiences caring for an ageing dog. She took a steep learning curve with new methods and successfully used her findings to develop the Ageing Canine Toolkit Checklist which is now being used daily by vets and owners across the UK.

Lisa is also incredibly collegiate and always keen to help with other projects and tasks such as contributing to undergraduate project supervision. Her success and contribution to the university should be celebrated.

Dr Samuel Whiteford

Sam's voluntary work on the IVES postdoc association core team is much appreciated.

Dr Claire Wilson

A headshot image of Claire Wilson

Claire is a Postdoctoral Researcher in ISMIB (Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology). She is the key driving force behind ISMIB’s Postdoc Society and works tirelessly to engage her peers in locally and institutionally organised events and policy related consultation, such as the Researcher Concordat. Claire represents her peers honestly and effectively, an approach which has influenced and led to new initiatives, such as ISMIB’s ECR Development Fund.

Claire arranges activities of interest to her peers, always mindful of their needs and available time. This includes attaining funding and overseeing activities from concept through to delivery. In the post-covid environment it has proven to be very challenging to engage the researcher community, further evidencing the impact of Claire’s efforts. The University's researcher community would be lost without colleagues like Claire, she cares deeply about her peers and the wider researcher community and it’s great to be able to acknowledge her efforts.

Dr Moon Wilton

A headshot image of Wilton Moon

Moon is an outstanding early career researcher who works at the highest possible level to deliver complex projects and achieve exceptional results. I am very fortunate to work with Moon on our Horizon 2020 SWEET project. On this inter-disciplinary multi-partner grant, Moon expertly leads and co-ordinates a complex, longitudinal study which has involved screening hundreds of research participants and retaining these individuals on a time-intensive protocol, which combines multiple methodologies (blood sampling, fMRI imaging, food intake, tests of psychological function) and exemplifies her extensive skill set.

Moon’s organisational and project management skills are second to none; she leads a team of researchers on the project at UoL, and extensively collaborates and co-ordinates with members of the wider SWEET consortium which comprises national and international academics and industry partners. I wish to celebrate Moon’s exceptional successes, strengths and achievements, and the vital contribution she makes to research at UoL.

Dr Antonia Wimbush

A headshot of Antonia Wimbush

Antonia is in her final year of a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in LCF. Her research is highly original as it draws on cultural representations of exile and on research in state archives. Antonia has delivered workshops about Caribbean migration to school students and university students in Guadeloupe. She is also currently co-creating an exhibition about Caribbean migration to France and the UK to be held in Liverpool in June as part of a conference she is organising.

Antonia has been dedicated to undergraduate course design and delivery. She has also been an excellent PG co-supervisor. She is coordinator for the Society for the Study of French History annual conference, which will take place this year in Liverpool, and has played a key role in ensuring our international visibility in the French studies field. External recognition of Antonia’s great potential is seen in her selection for the AHRC PRC (2022-2025).

Dr Joanne Worsley

A headshot image of Joanne Worsley

I have appointed Joanne on several AHRC/Research England funded projects on arts and mental health (one of which, in partnership with Mersey Care, was entirely Joanne’s brainchild). Joanne has shown stellar qualities as a team member and research leader – including acting as first author on publications – and one particularly innovative and impactful output (a co-created digital resource showcasing best practice in arts and health in the Liverpool City Region) was possible in no small part because of Joanne’s sterling work in forging excellent working relationships with arts and health partners, who contributed enthusiastically under Joanne’s expert guidance.

This narrative demonstrates that Joanne was already operating at full-time lecturer level before being appointed to a full-time permanent position in Primary Care and Mental Health (UoL) this year, taking responsibility for, and control of her own direction as a researcher, as well as being highly productive in terms of outputs and impact. It also indicates that Joanne is just at the beginning of what promises to be a hugely successful career trajectory in this field.

Dr Wenjing (Wendee) Zhang

A headshot image of Wenjing Zhang

Dr Zhang has only been based at the University of Liverpool since summer 2022, however they have fostered a positive culture in our research group. They are a kind and positive person, who brings their personality in every meeting. I have always been impressed with how proactive they are at setting up meetings, running events, hosting visiting researchers, and going beyond to make everyone feel welcome.

Research can be a cut-throat world and the characteristics of how Wendee works are the sorts of qualities that we don't value enough. I continue to learn a lot from working with them. They are a worthy recipient of this award.