An Alexandria chemistry student has been awarded a prestigious medal for her groundbreaking research into pancreatic cancer treatment.
Lauren Evans, a student at the University of Strathclyde, is the 2020 recipient of the Robertson Medal, presented annually by the Carnegie Trust to the most outstanding student on its PhD scholarship programme.
She was chosen from the 12 students awarded scholarships from an original list of 62 applicants.
Lauren’s research focused on developing treatments for pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth largest cause of cancer death in the world and for which current therapies are effective on fewer than a quarter of patients.
Lauren gained a first-class MChem degree in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry from Strathclyde last year and took a placement with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline during her degree course. Her award was announced in an online ceremony led by the Trust’s Chair, Professor Dame Anne Glover, last week.
Lauren said: “It’s fantastic to receive this recognition of my work in research to improve lives of pancreatic cancer patients.
“This research is urgently needed. It’s about developing tiny particles to carry drug molecules directly into cancerous cells.
“The problem with chemotherapy is that it often contacts good cells, with serious side effects, and I want to develop more effective treatments.
“I’m considering different possible options for my career. I’m a chemist at heart but there have been biological aspects to my studies.”
The selection committee for the award recommended Lauren as winner on the basis of her outstanding academic record and the excellent quality of the planned research project, together with its potential significance.
Professor Andy Walker, secretary and treasurer of the Carnegie Trust, said: “The Trust is delighted to be awarding this Medal to Lauren.
Her nomination clearly demonstrated how she has been an outstanding student.
“She is now embarking on an exciting research career, with a project that could lead to major advances on the treatment of pancreatic cancer and cancers more widely.
“We congratulate her and wish her every success.
“We shall be following her progress as one of our Carnegie scholars with great interest.”
