David Harvey Young Investigator Award 2026

Awards will be made to a maximum of two outstanding young investigators providing the opportunity to present a 20-minute résumé of their research, its impact, and their future investigative plans.

  • The award is aimed at young investigators transitioning to or having achieved independent researcher status in the previous two years, with allowance for career breaks
  • Applicants may be clinical or non-clinical and the award is open to all healthcare professionals
  • Applicants must have a substantial record of research achievement and demonstrable ability to present in English to an international audience
  • The award will cover the registration fee for the full 4-day Neonatal Update 2026 meeting (Monday 23 - Thursday 26 November 2026)
  • Awards will be judged competitively; no award will be made if a satisfactory standard of application is not received.

Abstract submission will open on 01 May and close 31 July 2026. 

Application Process

Please submit the following to neonatal.update@imperial.ac.uk with ‘DAVID HARVEY YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD’ in the subject line:

  • one page CV
  • summary of no more than 300 words of your proposed presentation which should cover what you have done and what you plan to do next to improve newborn care
  • a covering letter from your Head of Department, recommending you and confirming your ability to deliver your presentation in English to an international audience.

Winners will be notified by 04 September 2026. 

The Award Committee was very impressed with the quality of submissions in 2025 and as a result decided to extend the award to three young investigators. The winners of the David Harvey Young Investigator Award 2025 were Dr Michelle Fernandes (University of Oxford, UK), Dr Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA) and Dr Lauren Rossetti (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia). 

  • Dr Fernandes presented her research on ‘profiling brain development in the first 1000 days: from translational neuroscience to neonatal medicine and global child health.’
  • Dr Kilpatrick presented his research on ‘leveraging real-world data and external controls in neonatal clinical trials.’
  • Dr Rossetti presented her research on ‘from the NICU to the classroom: the neuropsychological impact of moderate-to-late preterm birth.’ 
Dr Michelle Fernandes, Dr Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dr Lauren Rossetti (L-R)

Contact

To register your interest or for any other enquiries please contact Georgina Holmes