Faculty of Medicine celebrates newest graduates and award winners

This week saw over 850 postgraduate students from the Faculty of Medicine graduate at a special ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall.

Writing about the ceremony, Professor Jonathan Weber, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, said: “Graduation Day is one of the biggest days in the College’s calendar, and it provides a special opportunity for the Faculty to celebrate the achievements of our new graduates.” 

2023 graduates 

We spoke to some of our graduates about their time at Imperial and plans for the future:

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Outstanding Student Achievement Awards 

Two Outstanding Student Achievement Awards were conferred as part of the graduation ceremony to Drs Alexander Ainscough and Liliana Isabel Casimiro Brito. 

The Outstanding Student Achievement Awards are awarded to students who have achieved excellence in extramural activities that bring credit to the College.  

Dr Alexander Ainscough 

Dr Ainscough completed his PhD in the British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence at the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial College. 

A dedicated scientist who is pioneering the development of cutting-edge organ-on-a-chip technology, Dr Ainscough showed an outstanding commitment to public engagement. He created the “Making A Scientist” podcast aimed at helping early career researchers, co-established the British Heart Foundation Student Training Network, and organised and participated in many science festival events. During his PhD, Alex also mentored numerous A-Level students (including via the In2scienceUK scheme), which aims to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds insight into studying and working in STEM. 

Dr Ainscough said: “With all the challenges a PhD student encounters both personally and professionally, it is critical to have a supportive working environment, a network of mentors and colleagues that help each other to succeed. I am very fortunate that my experiences at Imperial have proven to be the best possible springboard for my future career and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has shared my journey." 

Dr Liliana Isabel Casimiro Brito 

Dr Liliana Isabel Casimiro Brito is a postgraduate research student in the British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence at NHLI.

Regarded as an exceptionally hard-working student, Dr Brito is dedicated to public engagement and outreach. She works as a volunteer scientist at Native Scientists, a charity that promotes the work of scientists with young people and she has supported fundraising for the British Heart Foundation, acting as Team Leader for the Imperial fundraising team. Dr Brito is also a member of the executive committee for the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK, which has been instrumental in the development of a protocol with the Portuguese government that provides research fellowships to support collaboration between researchers in Portugal and the UK.

Dr Brito said: "Receiving the Outstanding Student Achievement Award fills me with immense gratitude as it acknowledges the efforts and experiences I gained while representing Imperial College during my PhD. The award is a reflection of my volunteering activities, and knowing that my contributions were valuable and appreciated makes me feel proud and motivated to continue pursuing meaningful work. I am thankful to my supervisor Professor Sian Harding for the nomination and grateful for this recognition." 

President’s Medal  

A President’s Medal for Excellence in Societal Engagement was awarded to Dr Victoria Male, Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Immunology in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction. The medal recognises Dr Male's outstanding contributions to external engagement. 

During the pandemic, Dr Male helped to collate and share information on the effects of the SARS-CoV2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and was involved in research on how COVID-19 vaccination affects the menstrual cycle.

Thanks to her ability to communicate complex research ideas and findings, Dr Male has been able to connect with a broad range of audiences and has become a trusted voice in outreach and science communication. Her success in societal engagement has also led to large numbers of the public contacting her to volunteer in research projects and has inspired new academic collaborations.

Speaking about the award, Dr Male, said: “It’s great that College is recognising the importance of outreach and engagement work: communicating science is a key part of science. But winning the medal also means a lot to me personally. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years talking to the public about Covid and reproductive health, and it’s nice to feel that work is valued.”