Professor Mathew Horrocks, IRR Group Leader and Professor of Biophysics at the School of Chemistry, has been selected as a finalist among 9 young scientists from across the UK shortlisted for largest unrestricted science prize. Three Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists Laureates will receive £100,000 prizes at a 24 February gala in London. The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences last week announced the Finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom. The Awards recognise scientific advances by UK researchers across Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering.On Tuesday, 24 February, Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, will reveal the three 2026 Laureates at a gala dinner and awards ceremony in London. Now in its ninth year, each Blavatnik Awards Laureate will receive an unrestricted £100,000 prize, while the remaining six Finalists will be awarded £30,000 each.The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding scientific talent in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognise faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honour faculty-rank scientists in the UK and Israel. I am delighted to have been nominated as a finalist for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. This is such an honour and I am looking forward to attending the 2026 Laureates gala event in London. Professor Mathew Horrocks Personal Chair of Biophysics An independent jury of expert scientists selected this year’s Finalists from a pool of 91 nominees representing 46 academic and research institutions across the UK.Professor Horrocks’ researchProtein aggregates, or small clumps of misfolded proteins in cells, often trigger neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but are challenging to study. Biophysicist Professor Mathew Horrocks has developed powerful microscopy tools to watch these aggregates form and damage neurons in living cells, enabling new strategies for early diagnosis and the development of targeted treatments for neurodegenerative disease. The Awards were created to honour outstanding, early-career scientists, accelerate their research, and ensure that discoveries with the potential to dramatically improve society are recognized, supported, and implemented Sir Leonard Blavatnik Founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation I congratulate these nine Finalists for their ground breaking work and daring ideas. Their research exemplifies the spirit of innovation - pushing boundaries, opening exciting frontiers, and laying the foundation for discoveries that will transform lives and advance science for generations to come. Professor Nicholas B. Dirks President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council Members of the public interested in learning more about this year’s honourees' research may register to attend a free public symposium titled “Leading with Discovery: UK Scientists Shaping Global Science” at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, on 25 February 2026, from 10:00 to 15:00 GMT. More information can be found on the The New York Academy of Sciences Events page.Related linksHorrocks research groupThe University of Edinburgh School of ChemistryThe New York Academy of SciencesBlavatnik Family Foundation Tags CIR Publication date 19 Feb, 2026
