Imperial College Professor given prestigious award for her breakthrough research into crystallization.

Professor Naomi Chayen was awarded a commendation certificate for Women of Outstanding Achievement for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the 2012 WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) awards last month. A statement on the WISE website reads 'This award celebrates women who are creating change, making discoveries, innovating processes, establishing new ventures and helping the UK excel in STEM' (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Presented to her by HRH The Princess Royal at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London, Professor Chayen was recognised for her breakthrough research into crystallisation. A Professor of Biomedical Sciences within the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial, Naomi’s work in the field of structural biology has focused on the crystallisation of proteins and other biological molecules of medical interest, in an effort to better understand their structure and function in order to facilitate rational drug design.

This research has resulted in a patent for a product that bears her name (‘Naomi’s Nucleant’) and has also seen her send crystallization experiments into space with NASA, the European and Russian Space Agencies and to be carried out on the International Space Station.