Two Nigerians, Samuel Ogunshola and Adewunmi Akingbola, were honored among 12 recipients of New England Biolabs’ Passion in Science Awards for their contributions to science mentorship and humanitarian service, respectively.
New England Biolabs (NEB) has announced the recipients of its fourth Passion in Science Awards, honoring 12 scientists for their impactful contributions in fields such as the arts, humanitarian service, environmental stewardship, and science mentorship, beyond traditional research.
Among the honorees are two Nigerians, Samuel Ogunshola and Adewunmi Akingbola, recognized for their exceptional contributions to science mentorship and humanitarian service, respectively.
The awards ceremony will take place on October 9th and 10th, 2024, at NEB’s headquarters in Ipswich, MA, where the winners will share their stories and participate in discussions with the NEB community.
NEB’s CEO, Salvatore Russello, praised the awardees, stating, “Our 2024 recipients embody the values of passion, humility, and authenticity that have guided NEB for over 50 years. We’re proud to celebrate their creativity and commitment to applying science in ways that enrich and serve society.”
The full list of Passion in Science Awardees includes:
Science Mentorship and Advocacy Award
- Samuel Ogunshola (University of Manitoba, Canada): Founder of Shaping African Women in STEM (SWIS Africa), a program empowering over 1,000 women in STEM through 10 training initiatives.
- Rogelio Hernandez Lopez (Stanford University, USA): Co-founder of Clubes de Ciencia, which has provided STEM workshops to 19,000 students across nine countries in Latin America.
- Anne Madden (The Microbe Institute, USA): Founder of a nonprofit promoting microbial discovery through art, research, and education.
- Alyssa Paparella (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA): Creator of Disabled in STEM, connecting 380 individuals with disabilities in STEM fields with mentors.
- Don Spratt (Clark University, USA): Launched ClarkU STEM Outreach Program, inspiring underrepresented groups to pursue STEM careers.
Environmental Stewardship Award
- Jim Chadwick (University of Oxford, UK): Raised awareness about energy use in research labs and established community gardens to improve mental health for graduate students.
- Martin Farley (UK Research and Innovation, UK): Founder of LEAF, a program promoting sustainability in labs by conserving resources like plastics and water.
Humanitarian Duty Award
- Adewunmi Akingbola (King’s College, UK): Founder of HealthDrive Nigeria, which has screened over 15,000 individuals for viral hepatitis and vaccinated more than 10,000 underserved people.
- Dylan Pillai (University of Calgary, Canada): Led the LAMPREG project, screening over 2,500 pregnant women for asymptomatic malaria to improve pregnancy outcomes.
Arts and Creativity Award
- Ji Hyun (Sally) Kong (Brooklyn, USA): Creator of Mitos – Handweaving My Ancestral DNA, transforming her mitochondrial DNA sequence into handwoven patterns.
- Sam Siljee (Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, New Zealand): Developed The Sound of Science, turning mass spectrometry data into sound for enhanced engagement.
- Michael Weiner (Abbratech, USA): Creates artwork from DNA and other scientific data using recycled materials like microtiter plates.
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