- Prof Sonia Contera, Professor of Biological Physics, achieves recognition for her outstanding research career with the “Merit Award” granted by the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU).
- This award recognises the career of a renowned Spanish researcher in the UK whose professional trajectory has had a great impact on the society.
- The Merit Award will be officially awarded at the XI SRUK/CERU International Symposium (21st-23rd June, Newcastle), where Prof Sonia Contera will deliver a plenary lecture.
The Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) is pleased to announce that Sonia Contera, Professor of Biological Physics at the University of Oxford, is the winner of the SRUK/CERU Merit Award 2024 for her pioneering and exceptional international career in the fields of nanotechnology and biological physics, developing nanoscale tools for biological and biomedical applications. The SRUK/CERU Merit Award aims to recognise the career of an internationally renowned senior Spanish researcher based in the UK who has been instrumental in advancing science, research, and innovation. Candidates for this award are nominated every two years by members of SRUK/CERU, and selected by the Executive Committee of the Society. Previous awardees include Prof Carmen Galan (Professor of Organic and Chemical Biology at the University of Bristol) or Prof Mercedes Maroto-Valer (Champion and Director of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre, IDRIC).
Prof Contera works at the interface of physics, biology, and nanotechnology, building the next generation of tools to understand biology at the nanoscale. She earned her PhD in Physics from Osaka University (Japan), where she specialised in the physics of nanostructures and scanning probe microscopy, before joining the University of Oxford in 2003, when she started her research group exploring the physical aspects of biological growth and shape across various systems, including neural networks and tumours. Since 2020, she also holds the position of Associate Head of the Department of Physics, focusing on diversity and inclusion. She has also spearheaded scientific outreach and advocacy initiatives, including her best-selling book “Nano Comes to Life” (translated into Spanish and Chinese), and acting as an expert advisor in international bodies like UK Research & Innovation, and the World Economic Forum.
The awardee has also contributed notably to SRUK/CERU activities, initiatives, and founding objectives. Prof Contera has been a member of the Evaluation Committee of the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent Award for many years and she is always approachable and happy to help. Prof Contera collaborates widely and has been a mentor to many Spanish researchers in the United Kingdom. The president of SRUK/CERU, Ms. Irene Echeverría Altuna, highlights that “Prof. Contera is a world-leading Spanish researcher working in the UK. In addition to her interdisciplinary science, she has made outstanding contributions to the broader research culture which are in line with the objectives we try to foster through our Society. SRUK/CERU is proud to recognise her career with the 2024 Merit Award and we are honoured to have her join our Scientific Advisory Board.”.
The SRUK/CERU Merit Award will be officially awarded at the IX SRUK/CERU International Symposium, to be held at the University of Newcastle between the 21st and 23rd of June. In the words of the awardee, “We live in complex times and science is more important than ever, but it is also increasingly difficult for scientists and the wider society to harness the power of science for the benefit of all. SRUK/CERU creates an important space for collective reflection and action embodying the democratic values that we need; I am delighted to receive the 2024 SRUK/CERU Merit Award and the recognition of my peers”.
With this recognition, Prof Contera has also been awarded an honorary membership of the Society and she will become a distinguished adviser for the SRUK/CERU Scientific Advisory Board.
