Meet Imperial’s 2025 Alumni Award winners

Three award categories. Eight winners with unique stories. A whole host of achievements to celebrate for our sixth year of Alumni Awards.

Reaching for the stars

The Distinguished Alumni Award honours alumni who have demonstrated sustained excellence in their personal and professional achievements over the course of their careers. This year’s winner is a STEM role model and an inspiration to all. She encourages everyone to find their inner scientist so we can all unite in addressing the challenges of today’s world.

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Physics 1990, PhD Mechanical Engineering 1993) tells young people interested in the sciences and space to “reach for the stars”. From undiagnosed dyslexia to a rocky early education, nothing has stopped her from becoming a leading space scientist, science communicator and business founder.

“I tell kids to reach for the stars. No matter what your stars are. Mine just happen to be the actual stars, but yours might be something completely different.”

Determination to succeed

The Alumni Entrepreneur Award recognises motivated self-starters with exceptional drive and leadership. This year’s winners have a very different journey but have both made bold decisions to make their company a success.

Business extraordinaire

Alastair Kilgour (MSc Management Science 1981) is the business mind behind Parkwalk Advisors. If you met him, you’d think, from the confidence he exudes, that entrepreneurism is in his DNA. However, it’s the result of years of experience at leading financial firms and an attentiveness to what’s happening in the world.

"Parkwalk Advisors have invested over £500 million into university spinouts. We have invested in over 180 companies, of which over 140 are live. Our portfolio companies have employed over 5,400 people in the UK tech space."

MedTech entrepreneur

Lucy Jung (MSc Innovation Design Engineering 2019) is the founder of Charco Neurotech and a new medical innovation company, LYEONS Limited. By improving motor control, Charco Neurotech’s CUE device is “bringing back smiles for people with Parkinson’s”. She has secured over £14 million of investment and established extensive partnerships.

“My mentor at Imperial Enterprise Lab asked me what I thought made a good entrepreneur. I came up with three things – a clear vision, persistence and taking responsibility.”

Leading the way across sectors

Five alumni have been recognised with the Emerging Alumni Leader Award, which celebrates graduates from the last 15 years who are shaping their field. This year’s winners are protecting communities against health threats and changing lives through their innovative approach to pressing problems.

Dr Shiladitya Ghosh (MEng Chemical Engineering 2016, PhD Chemical Engineering 2021) is harnessing his expertise to get the climate crisis under control. His company, Mission Zero, is creating technologies to remove planet-polluting carbon dioxide from the air and attempting to ultimately end our dependence on fossil fuels.

Jon Arizti Sanz (MEng Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering 2018) is transforming how we respond to infectious disease. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, he’s developing, validating and deploying diagnostic technologies. He’s also creating policies to prevent threats for the benefit of humanity.

Abdirahman Ismail (MEng Civil Engineering 2021) is a leading structural engineer at AtkinsRéalis. A rising star in engineering, he has quickly been recognised as an emerging leader through his passion for working on transformative infrastructure projects. And despite his young age, he’s already inspiring and mentoring the next generation of engineers.

Professor Filipe Pereira (PhD Biomedical Sciences 2009) is leading the way in molecular medicine, advancing cancer treatment through innovative cellular reprogramming and immunotherapy. With over 20 years of groundbreaking research, he is not only transforming the way we tackle resistant cancers but also shaping the next generation of scientific leaders in academia and biotech.

Ellin Ivarsson (MSc Transport and Business Management 2015) grew up in Colombia and often heard her mother talk about her time at Imperial. Years later, Ellin found herself studying the same course at the same university. Today, she plays a pivotal role in high-profile infrastructure projects, improving transport to better connect people to essential services such as jobs, healthcare and education.