Future Science Future Star Award 2021: And the winner is…
This year’s Future Science Future Star Award gained a record-breaking number of applicants and nearly 10,000 public votes in the final round. The votes for the four finalists have been counted and I am pleased to be able to announce the winner for 2021.
Dr Karolina Pierzynowska, a molecular and cellular neurobiologist from the University of Gdansk (Poland), was chosen by our expert judging panel as a finalist and selected as your winner by public vote. Find out more about Pierzynowska in her finalist interview, detailing her burgeoning career in neurobiology and her aims for the future >>>
As this year’s victor, she joins previous winners as part of the Future Science OA Early Career Advisory Panel and a Mentor for BioTechniques LEARN, where she will be able to inspire and encourage the next generation of early career researchers.
Alongside membership to these early-career panels, Pierzynowska also receives a cash prize to support her research and has the opportunity to act as Guest Editor for a Special Focus Issue of Future Science OA on a topic of her choice.
“I feel proud, but most of all surprised by the victory in the Future Science Future Star competition. It is a great honor that the jury of renowned scientists from around the world paid attention to my research.
The happiness is even greater as it is the first time that a scientist from Poland has been awarded the prize. This award will not only motivate me to continue my intensive research work, but will also bring publicity to my research, thanks to which it will be easier to obtain funds for its continuation,” commented Pierzynowska on her win.
Pierzynowska will also be speaking more about the prize and her research and aspirations with Digital Editor Tristan Free in an upcoming episode of the Talking Techniques Podcast.
The Future Science Future Star Award, launched by the journal Future Science OA and now a joint venture between BioTechniques and Future Science OA, aims to recognize outstanding, highly talented and motivated researchers within the first 5 years of their first career appointment (in academia or industry), who are set to have a big impact in their field.
“BioTechniques is thrilled to recognize Dr. Pierzynowska with the Future Science Future Star Award! We celebrate the impressive impact of her research harnessing autophagy to treat neurodegenerative diseases and are honored to announce her role as a LEARN Mentor in the BioTechniques community. We are excited to support her as she shares her creative and broad approach to addressing critical issues in human health with early career researchers.” – Michelle S. Itano, Editor-in-Chief for BioTechniques.
“I’d like to offer my congratulations to Karolina on winning this year’s award! It’s a truly great achievement, given the highly qualified candidates in the running this time around. Karolina is doing some amazing studies on molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, along with her work as a principle investigator, and I look forward to having the opportunity to work with her. I wish her all the best for the future!” – Roshaine Wijayatunga, Head of Open Access Publishing for Future Science Group and Managing Editor of Future Science OA.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s award, be it as nominators, nominees, judges or voters, it has been a resounding success, with an impressive number of scientists nominated who have exceptional careers ahead of them in their various fields. Special mention should go to our finalists, Filippo Piccinini, Luria Leslie Founou, and Irfan Khan – all of whom have already achieved so much and will go on to make outstanding contributions to science and act as brilliant mentors in the STEM population.
Do you know a Future Star who deserves credit? We will be back in 2022 for next year’s award so watch out for nominations opening next spring and have your say! Sign up to our newsletters today to be sure you don’t miss out.
