Postdoc Award Winners

We have been overwhelmed by both the number of submissions for these awards, and the heartfelt nature of the nominations. It has been such a delight to read about how much postdocs mean to their colleagues, and how much they contribute to the University community beyond just research. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a postdoc. And thank you to all the postdocs who make this University better, in thousands of big and small ways, every single day. 

We would like to recognise everyone who was nominated in the four categories, so their names are listed below the winners in each category. 

Community Champion Award 

Shekhar Kedia 

Shekhar is impressive with his extensive committee and representative work on the Library and Scholarly Communication Committee in the Department of Chemistry, and on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the School of Physical Sciences.  

He mentors colleagues and supports staff through the Race Equality Network and helps encourage postdocs to manage their stress through activities such as workplace yoga, helping make inclusion and care part of their daily routine.  

He is known for speaking up for postdocs, prioritising research culture and wellbeing, with colleagues regularly turning to him as someone who will listen and provide constructive advice on a variety of issues.  

Tammar Truzman 

In addition to her research, Tammar does many things for her community. This includes building the lab website, implementing lab meetings to aid the sharing of ideas and positive discussions, and founding Parental Lobe, a group for parents in the CBU.  

Having only recently returned from maternity leave, Tammar is known for bringing empathy, dedication, and energy to her work. She is motivated to improve working culture for lab members and parents.  

Tammar hosts the WTLS seminar series, serves on the Postdoc Committee, and is leading the parents' session in the upcoming Equality & Diversity Day this October with an ambitious and engaging programme. She is committed, highly proactive, and well known for her hard work and impact. 

Recognising all the nominees in this category: Artur Jaschke, Elsa Amsellem, Saskia Frisby, Victor Flores Lopez, Stephanie Monty, Greg Cooke, Beyza Ustun-Elayan, Eugenio Solchaga Flores, Dafydd Wyn Evans, Álvaro López-Acosta, Aishwarya Jacob. 

Talk Like TED Award 

Estherina Trachtenberg 

Estherina received many nominations for being an outstanding scientific communicator. She has a long-standing commitment to public outreach and to sharing science with diverse audiences, in particular minoritised and underserved groups.  

She explores the intersection of social science, loneliness, and immunity. Her work powerfully advocates for care, connection, and togetherness, showing how research can directly enrich community wellbeing. Her passion is contagious, inspiring those around her and encouraging her colleagues to also contribute to public engagement. Her talks are inspiring and leave a lasting impression on any audience, making complex ideas accessible and exciting.

Estherina stands out as a role model for how science can be shared. 

Amrit Kaur Purba 

Amrit has impressed her colleagues with her depth of knowledge and competence, and her determination to make a difference and change the world for the better. Amrit plays a pivotal role in public health initiatives that address the impact of social media on young people. She has engaged with governments, health organisations, academic institutions, and the public, helping to harness social media to promote health.

Although Amrit is no stranger to being featured in the media, it is her work within the department – presenting research and helping others practice for interviews – that has inspired her colleagues. One nominator said, “When I now prepare talks, I think of her as an inspiring female role model confidently presenting her research.” 

Recognising all the nominees in this category: Nadia Mohd-Radzman, Artur Jaschke, Mihai Hotea, James Rogers. 

Level-Up Legend Award 

This was by far the most hotly contested award with 31 nominations! It was very difficult to choose winners because so many of the nominations explained how vital postdocs can be to their research groups – in supervising students, training new members, offering sage advice, and providing a non-judgemental ear to their colleagues’ challenges. As a result, we chose three winners in this category – they are: 

David Russell 

David received numerous nominations crediting his knowledge, patience and generosity in helping others. His deep understanding of and passion for science, combined with his approachable demeanour, has clearly made a lasting impression on many of his colleagues. He always takes the time to support students and fellow postdocs with their scientific techniques, as well as with preparing presentations and manuscripts.

One nominator described him as keeping the essence of science alive amidst the chaos of modern academia.

David has also developed an acetone recycling system for the lab, helping his colleagues cut out 25 litres of acetone waste. He truly embodies the spirit of collaboration and scientific mentorship. 

Fabian Berger 

Fabian is a dedicated teacher and mentor who is clearly invested in the success of his collaborators and the students he supports. An inspiration to many in the group, Fabian gives others confidence to pursue their scientific enquiries. He is described as vital to the way the research group functions.

His colleagues see him as always approachable for a scientific discussion without fear of being judged for asking fundamental questions. 

Lisa Breckels 

Through sharing her knowledge of R, Lisa has had a profound impact on countless students and postdocs, in Cambridge, nationally and internationally. She goes above and beyond to teach her colleagues how to use R and to build bespoke packages that they can use.

Taking her impact further afield, she runs courses in collaboration with the Bioinformatics Training Centre and regularly teaches researchers from groups around the world. She has even empowered many researchers with the pedagogical and technical skills to run their own courses in R.

Lisa shows great generosity of spirit in her willingness to come to the aid of her colleagues – often prioritising helping them over her own work and providing analysis at short notice. 

Recognising all the nominees in this category: Ian Hosking, Noam Tal-Perry, Connor Tansley, Joseph Beckwith, Moataz Assem, Zeinab Tirandez, Eliza Yankova, Emilio Vozza, Paul Brear, Jamie London, Isabel Askenasy, Francesco D'Eugenio, Stephan Kamrad, Helen Dolling, Georg Meisl, De-Sheng Ker, Michela Leonardi, Ido Shalev, Zhenguang Zhang, Amanda Ferguson. 

Life of the Lab Award 

Maurine Hammel 

Maurine has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on her colleagues. From organising social events to mentoring, always going out of her way to make people feel welcome and part of the community.  

Joining VetMed three years ago, she helped the department find its feet after COVID, bringing energy, positivity, and creating a much-needed social element. This started with encouraging everyone to have lunch together regularly, followed by a simple WhatsApp group where she proposed further events. These seemingly small activities have transformed the department into a group of friends, helping people to get to know each other across the different groups. 

Maurine received the most nominations out of all our categories, showing the impact that small, positive gestures can have on a department. 

Cara Ruggiero 

Known for her infectious joy and positivity, Cara fosters a welcoming and productive working environment. Connection and community are two of her main drivers, as she often takes the lead on organising social events which help bring colleagues together with a sense of belonging.  

Cara’s kindness, warmth, and generosity in her interactions with others set her apart, celebrating successes and ensuring their workplace is one where people feel valued and supported. 

Recognising all the nominees in this category: Victor Hugo Moura De Souza, Perah Alter, Lena Quambusch, Gregory Cooke, Sam Coles. 

Extra Mentions 

These postdocs received nominations for the wonderful impact they have made on their colleagues but didn’t quite fall into one of our award categories. We felt they deserved a special mention: 

Sam Coles

Sam is highly valued by members of his research group for always being approachable for an honest chat and providing the much-appreciated service of breaking the ice when others are feeling shy or unsure. He is always willing to question the status quo and sets a great example for his lab. 

Ian Hosking

We were touched by the range of things Ian has helped his colleagues with and the level of time, effort and kindness he puts in to be of service to them. He has helped with guidance on topics as diverse as research methods, job applications, support and schooling for children with special needs, finding accommodation in Cambridge, pensions, nutrition, presentation skills and IT support. 

Michela Leonardi

Michela’s contributions span almost all of our categories and are probably summed up by creating a serene and supportive environment in the lab. She is always there for her colleagues, whether they need technical help, updates on departmental news, advice on academic or Cambridge life, or help with presentations and science communication. 

Elsa Amsellem

As PdOC’s Social and Networking Events Officer, Elsa truly is a pillar of the community. She is often one of the first friendly faces new postdocs meet, and her social events provide a real lifeline to those in what can sometimes be a lonely position. She works hard to make sure everyone feels welcome and connected, and has done a huge amount to make Cambridge’s postdoc community a tight-knit one. 

Álvaro López-Acosta

Again, Álvaro’s contributions span almost all of our categories, embodying the spirit of community leadership. His energy and creativity have driven cross-lab networking, communication training, and empathetic representation. He is a postdoc representative on several committees, a sought-after advisor, and an instigator of events that bring researchers together.