We are pleased to announce that the following staff were successful during the promotions rounds.
Academic promotions and Teaching promotions take place on an annual cycle, with promotions taking effect from 1 September 2025.
Author: Andrew Youngson
Harriet Wallace has accepted appointment as Imperial’s first Director of Sustainability. Harriet began transitioning into this role in June from her previous secondment to Imperial as an Imperial Policy Fellow from the Civil Service, working with colleagues on implementing our Sustainability Strategy.
In this new role, Harriet will lead and coordinate delivery of the Sustainable Imperial initiative announced in our new Strategy, working collaboratively with colleagues across Imperial. As the Strategy set out, Imperial’s goal is to set a global benchmark for university sustainability, nurturing graduates who understand and advocate for climate science, supporting our researchers to investigate and respond to planetary challenges and leading by example in our activities and on our campuses.
Harriet will report to the Chief of Staff to the President and continue to work closely with Professor Tim Green, Academic Lead for Sustainability. The Sustainability Programme will continue to be governed by the Sustainability Strategy Committee, chaired by Professor Nigel Brandon, and supported by the central Sustainability Hub team and Sustainability leads and champions across Faculties and Professional Services.
Harriet is a scientist by training and a policy, strategy and change practitioner by profession. She has had a lifelong interest in how we can make the most of science’s potential: for understanding the world better; for solving real-world problems; and to inform and influence both policy-making and human behaviours.
She previously worked in government for many years, most recently as Director International Research and Innovation at BEIS (negotiating the Horizon Europe deal and sponsoring several Research and Funding bodies) and before that in roles on environmental, health and science policy and spending. Before joining government, she worked at Unilever on social and environmental responsibility and their corporate brand.
Professor Mark Thursz has accepted the appointment of Director of the Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC), with effect from 1 August 2024, for a term of five years. He succeeds Professor Jonathan Weber who had held this position since 2012. We express our thanks to Professor Weber for his long stint in office and for his unwavering commitment to the AHSC and its NHS partners and to Imperial College London.
Professor Thursz has been the Head of the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction (MDR) since 2019, a role he will step down from in due course once a new postholder is identified and takes up the post.
Professor Thursz joined Imperial in 1991 as a clinical research fellow and was appointed to a Senior Lectureship in 1997. He was promoted to Professor of Hepatology in 2006. He has held many senior roles within the Department and Faculty, including Head of the Division of Digestive Diseases within MDR, and St Mary’s Campus Director.
He is R&D Director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where he is a consultant hepatologist based at St Mary’s Hospital. He is also Director of the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, which in 2022 was awarded a five-year grant of over £95M from the NIHR to support research activity in collaboration with Imperial College London.
Professor Thursz is a former secretary of the British Association for Study of the Liver (BASL) and led the European Association for Study of the Liver, as Secretary-General (2011-13). Professor Thursz’s research interests are focussed on viral hepatitis and alcohol-related liver disease. He established the Prevention of Liver Fibrosis and Cancer in Africa (PROLIFCA) programme to address barriers that prevent the control and elimination of viral hepatitis in countries with limited resources. He also runs a translational research programme in alcohol-related liver disease funded by the MRC and NIHR.
The Julia Higgins Medal and Awards recognise individuals, groups, and departments that have made a significant contribution to the support of academic women at the university.
Award winners
- Anne Barratt, Division of the University Secretary
- Samuel Cooper, Dyson School of Design Engineering
- Lucia Lombardi, Department of Chemical Engineering
- Shiranee Sriskandan, Department of Infectious Disease
- Teresa Thurston, Department of Infectious Disease
- Anique Varleigh, Imperial College Business School
- Christopher Peters, Department of Surgery and Cancer
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety recognise individuals and teams whose efforts have resulted in significant improvements to health and safety in the university over the past year.
Individual award winners:
- Charlotte Sutherell, Department of Chemistry
- Yatish Patel, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Team award winner: Life Sciences Health and Safety Task Force
- Sasha Angell and Emma Ransome – Department of Life Sciences
Highly commended:
- Richard Brown, Outreach Division
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Animal Research celebrate good practice by research and CBS staff at Imperial.
Individual award winners:
- Maike Haensel – National Heart and Lung Institute, Vascular Science Section
- Cheryll Brown – Central Biomedical Services
Team winners:
- Instagram takeover for the Understanding Animal Research’s #MiceInResearch event
- Stephanie Natario and Anna Napolitano – Central Biomedical Services
- Chiara Pojani and Elaine Irvine – Institute of Clinical Sciences, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS)
- Reduction and refinement initiatives when developing a rat model of bleeding injury
- Chengxing Lian and Jun Cai – Department of Bioengineering
- Justyna Glegola and Ginny Fisher – Central Biomedical Services
- Mike Emerson – National Heart and Lung Institute, Vascular Science Section
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The President’s Awards for Excellence are annual awards to recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in Culture and Community, Education, Research, Societal Engagement or Sustainability.
The President’s Awards for Excellence in Societal Engagement recognise staff members who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to deliver inspiring engagement activities or supported the development of a culture of societal engagement at Imperial.
- Medal winner: Stephanie Powell, School of Public Health
Leadership Award
For individuals who have supported other staff and students in their own engagement endeavours.
Award winner:
- Sabine van Elsland, School of Public Health
Achievement Award
For both individuals or teams who have delivered excellent engagement activities or programmes.
Individual award winners:
- Liva Donina, Department of Chemical Engineering
Team winners: Young Producers Antimicrobial Resistance Research Team
- Juliet Allibone, Emma Carter, Amrita Ghataure, Jennifer Lawrence, Rakhee Parmar, Ellen Stadler – Department of Infectious Disease
- Ashleigh Green, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction
Highly commended:
- Mohn Centre for Children’s Health & Wellbeing – Research Engagement Team Rachel B Smith, Dougal Hargreaves, Esta Orchard (School of Public Health)
- Jack Cooper, Institute of Global Health Innovation
Partner Award
Recognises those who collaborate with us from outside our Imperial community to make engagement happen. This could include patients, residents, community members and partner organisations in the public, private and third sector.
Team winner: Wellhome Community Ambassadors
- Nour-eddine Aboudihaj
- Asha Ahmed
- Susu Ali
- Fatima Amin
- Manon Chiari
- Mounira Igheldane
- Mutthu Karappan
- Piia Lavila
- Wendy Roudette
- Della Rozycka
Highly commended:
- Nourish Hub – Ffion Hayward
- Westminster City Lions – Sisley Hamer, John Nolan
Student Award
Awarded to student teams or individuals who have delivered excellent engagement activities.
Award winners:
- Alexandra Cardoso Pinto, School of Public Health
- Vanessa Madu, Mathematics
Highly commended: Music of the Earth team
- Mark Boyd, Elnaz Barati, Alex Smith – Department of Earth Science & Engineering
- George Burton, Mahika Dixit, Tanith Hackney – Department of Life Sciences
- Josh Lanham, Fangjun Peng – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Shawn Lee, Ruthie Parsons – School of Public Health
- Neel Le Penru – Dyson School of Design Engineering
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The President’s Awards for Excellence are annual awards to recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in Culture and Community, Education, Research, Societal Engagement or Sustainability.
The President’s Awards for Excellence in Research recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in early career research, research support, as part of a research team, and in research innovation and external collaboration.
President’s Award for Excellence in Impact
For Excellence in Impact, which encompasses Policy, Enterprise, Engagement or Translation impact, aims to celebrate individuals or Teams whose research endeavours transcend academic boundaries, creating tangible, positive changes in society and the environment while exemplifying Imperial’s values in action.
Medal winners:
- Ben Glocker, Department of Computing
- Jonathan Jeffers, Department of Mechanical Engineering
The President’s Award for Outstanding Early Career Researcher
To celebrate the academic excellence and development of Imperial’s early stage researchers.
Medal: Calvin Tsay, Department of Computing
Award winners:
- Andrea Giusti, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- David Labonte, Department of Bioengineering
The President’s Award for Outstanding Research Team
To recognise outstanding research that delivers impact, a team’s international standing and their beneficial contribution to Imperial.
Medal winner: The Musculoskeletal Mechanics Group, led by Professor Anthony Bull
Award winners:
- The Steel Structures Research Group, led by Professor Leroy Gardner
The President’s Award for Research Support Excellence
To recognise the contribution of Research Support staff at Imperial, including the beneficial effects their support has given to Imperial research and the innovative approaches/good practice they bring to a project.
Award winners:
- Alberto Collauto, Department of Chemistry
- Cherry Kingsley, Department of Infectious Disease
- Christopher Roberts, Department of Chemistry
- Rita Carvalho, Department of Surgery and Cancer
The President’s Awards for Excellence in Research Environment (Ethics, Culture, Sustainability)
To celebrate individuals or groups whose initiatives and actions significantly contribute to nurturing an inclusive, collaborative research environment and promoting sustainable research practices within the institution.
Medal winner: Veronique Azuara, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction
Team winner:
- Professor Henry Rzepa – Department of Chemistry (PI)
- Professor Michael Bearpark, Department of Chemistry
- Charles Romain, Department of Chemistry
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The President’s Awards for Excellence are annual awards to recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in Culture and Community, Education, Research, Societal Engagement or Sustainability.
The President’s Awards for Excellence in Education are annual awards to recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in teaching, research supervision and supporting the student experience.
President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching
For outstanding teaching quality, organisation and presentation.
Medal winner: Chee Yeen Fung, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction
Award winners:
- Wendy Kwok, School of Public Health
- Julie Varley, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Catherine Mansfield, Department of Life Sciences
President’s Award for Supporting the Student Experience
For outstanding contributions to enhancing the student experience made by any members of staff at the College (academic, professional, or technical).
Medal winners:
- Jackie Bell, Department of Computing
- Graduate School team
Award winners:
- Jenny Husbands, School of Public Health
- Nousheen Tariq, Faculty of Medicine Centre
- Paul Fennel, Department of Chemical Engineering
- Sarah Willis, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
President’s Award for Excellence in Research Supervision
For exceptional supervision, encouragement, and support of doctoral or postgraduate research students.
Award winner: Yiannis Demiris, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovation
For outstanding teaching practice that demonstrates innovation.
Medal winner: Jo Horsburgh, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship
President’s Award for Outstanding Assistant Supervisor
To celebrate and recognise the valuable contribution that Postdocs make towards the supervision of the College’s PhD students.
Award winner: Grazia Antonacci, School of Public Health
You can read more about the awards in our news story.
The President’s Awards for Excellence are annual awards to recognise staff members who have made outstanding contributions in Culture and Community, Education, Research, Societal Engagement or Sustainability.
The President’s Awards for Excellence in Culture and Community recognise staff who have made outstanding contributions over the last year in Leadership: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Collaboration: and Sustainability.
President’s Medal for Excellence in Culture and Community
For individuals or teams who have made exceptional contributions to Culture and Community across the university.
Medal winner: Culture and Engagement Committee, Department of Surgery and Cancer
- Gina Brown
- Elsa Paul
- Christopher Peters
- Karen Pontifex
President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership
For staff who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and management at all levels within the university.
Winner: Julie King, Centre for Academic English
President’s Award for Excellence in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
For an individual or team who have delivered a specific project, initiative or demonstrated inclusive participation in their everyday behaviour that significantly contributes to the enhancement of equality, diversity and inclusion at the university.
Individual winner: Helen Johnson, National Heart and Lung Institute
Team winner: Imperial as One Media Academy
- Hayley Dunning, Communications Division
- Sarah Essilife-Quaye, National Heart and Lung Institute
- Al McCartney, Faculty of Medicine Centre
- Wayne Mitchell, Department of Immunology & Inflammation
- Ellie Cawthera, Communications Division
- Maxine Myers, Communications Division
President’s Award for Excellence in Collaboration
For an individual colleague or team who embodies our spirit of the Imperial community.
Individual winner: Toby Emmerson, Business School
Team winner: Producing Rational Evidence for Parasiticide Pollution (PREPP) Team
- Leon Barron, School of Public Health
- Tilly Collins, Centre for Environmental Policy
- Neil Jennings, Grantham Institute
- Andrew Prentis, Grantham Institute
- Guy Woodward, Department of Life Sciences
President’s Award for Excellence in Sustainability
For an individual or team who have delivered a specific project or initiative or embedded everyday good practice that significantly contributes to the enhancement of sustainability at the university.
Individual winner: Sharron Stubbs, Faculty of Medicine Centre
Team winner: CID Green Team, Centre of Inflammatory Disease
- Lyndon Costa
- Alice Denton
- Neil Galloway-Phillips
- Christina Malaktou
- Stacey McIntyre
- Kerry Rostron-Barrett
- Kassandra Vezyrgianni
You can read more about the awards in our news story.