BNA members receive international recognition with SfN awards

8th Oct 2024

This week, the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) revealed the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. We're thrilled to announce that three of the awardees are BNA members, and we're incredibly proud that their outstanding accomplishments have gained international recognition.

Professor Laura C. Andreae (King’s College London) was honored with the Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award for her significant contributions to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in neuroscience. Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini (University of Cambridge) received the Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award for her groundbreaking research on neurodegenerative diseases and her mentorship of young neuroscientists. Dr Emma Yhnell (Cardiff University) was awarded the Science Educator Award for her impactful public outreach efforts, engaging over 100,000 people and raising awareness of neuroscience through various media platforms. The BNA is proud to celebrate the international recognition of these outstanding members and their contributions to the field.

Image - from left BNA President Tara Spires-Jones with Dr Emma Yhnell, Professor Laura Andrea and Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini

Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award: Laura C. Andreae

The Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award honours individuals who have significantly promoted the professional development of women in neuroscience.

Professor Laura Andrea is a professor at the Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at King’s College London and an accomplished researcher known for her work on circuit formation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Her outstanding contributions earned her an appointment as a FENS-Kavli Scholar in 2016. Beyond research, Laura is a leading advocate for women and under-represented groups at global, national, and community levels.

As a member of ALBA’s leadership team since 2023, chair of the ALBA network (2022-23) and member of SfN’s Diversity and Inclusion working group (2020-22), Laura has played a key role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in neuroscience globally.

Within the UK, Laura has been equally active. She was instrumental in creating the British Neuroscience Association’s Scholars Program which provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial support to students and early career researchers from under-represented ethnic groups.

The BNA Scholars programme has had a profound impact on the BNA that extends beyond the huge value it brings to the individual scholars on the programme. It has put the BNA at the forefront of EDI initiatives and we are delighted that Professor Andreae’s pivotal role in the launch of this cornerstone programme for our society has been recognised at an international level.

Further details and the full press release for the SfN Women in Neuroscience Awards can be found here.

Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Grazia Spillantini

The Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes neuroscientists with outstanding achievements in research who have significantly promoted the professional advancement of women in neuroscience.

Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini is a professor at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Her pioneering research in the molecular neuropathological features of neurodegenerative diseases has significantly advanced our understanding particularly of the role of tau and alpha-synuclein proteins and how they relate to disease pathogenesis.

Maria Grazia has published more than 300 scientific articles; she is a fellow of the Royal Society, the Academia Europaea, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the British Neuroscience Association.

In addition to her outstanding research contributions, Professor Spillantini is also a dedicated mentor who has played a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of neuroscientists, with a profound impact on the neuroscience community. Her passion for science has inspired countless students and early-career researchers to pursue neuroscience. Through her mentorship, she has fostered a collaborative and supportive research environment, empowering young scientists to realise their full potential and make meaningful contributions to the field.

The BNA is delighted that Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini's exceptional scientific achievements, unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists, and extensive service to the field has been recognised by SfN with this lifetime achievement award. 

Further details and the full press release for the SfN Women in Neuroscience Awards can be found here. 

Science Educator Award:  Dr Emma Yhnell

The Science Educator Award honors neuroscientists who have made significant contributions to educating the public about neuroscience.

Dr Emma Yhnell is a reader in Neuroscience and associate dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Cardiff University. Emma is an award-winning educator and science communicator who has worked closely with the BNA for many years as our Local Group Representative for Cardiff University. Emma has undertaken over 250 different outreach activities, impacting more than 100,000 young people. Her work includes dispelling brain myths, providing hands-on opportunities and widening participation in neuroscience, working tirelessly to raise awareness of the neurosciences with both school children and adult audiences. She accomplishes this through both traditional media (books, radio, and television) and newer approaches (including podcasts and YouTube presentations such as the prestigious TEDx talks). Motivated by personal experience, Emma created and hosted a BBC radio series “Dementia: Hope for the Future” which brought neuroscience to new audiences and effectively communicated the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, while also highlighting the importance of research, community support, and policy initiatives in addressing those challenges.

Through her wide variety of innovative activities, Emma continues to educate the public about neuroscience. We are fortunate at the BNA to have benefited from Emma’s expertise and enthusiasm for science communication and public engagement and are delighted that she has been recognised with this prestigious award.

SfN Award winners from left - Dr Emma Yhnell, Professor Laura Andrea and Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini

Further details and the full press release for the SfN Science Educator Awards can be found here.