Congratulations to Dr Maura Malpetti, Dr Robert McGeachan and Prof Tara Spires-Jones, who each collected a prize at the Alzheimer’s Research UK 2026 conference.
The conference took place from 24-25 February in Manchester. Various prizes were awarded throughout the event, celebrating research excellence and championing outstanding scientists making an impact in the field.
Dr Maura Malpetti received the David Hague Early Career Investigator of the Year Award - awarded to the most outstanding early career researcher in the field of biomedical dementia research. Previous winners include Prof Katie Lunnon (University of Exeter), Prof Selina Wray (University College London) and Dr Shane Liddelow (NYU Langone in New York City), all of whom have gone on to become leaders in their field.
Maura said:
"Receiving this award means the world to me - not just as a personal milestone, but as a reflection of the impact that collaborative and patient-centred science can achieve. I share this with every member of my lab, colleague, mentor, funder and the people living with dementia who has inspired this work, believed in it and made our research progress possible."
Dr Robert McGeachan was awarded the Jean Corsan Prize for the best scientific paper in neurodegeneration published by a PhD or MD/PhD student. Robert’s winning paper explores how toxic tau protein spreads through synapses in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and its implications for synaptic loss.
Robert said:
"Winning the Jean Corsan Prize from Alzheimer's Research UK means a great deal, and I’m truly honoured to have our work recognised in this way. It’s a privilege to carry out this work within the UK Dementia Research Institute, alongside colleagues dedicated to advancing our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative disease."
Prof Tara Spires-Jones received the Stuart Pickering-Brown Prize for lifetime achievement. The award recognises her dedication to dementia research and her significant contributions in mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists. Her research into the mechanisms of neurodegeneration continues to shape the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Tara said:
“It is such an honour to receive the Alzheimer’s Research UK Stuart Pickering-Brown prize. It is a lovely recognition of our team’s work and is particularly meaningful to me as Stuart was a mentor to me on the ARUK Grant Review Board when I first moved back to the UK.”
Image credits: Rebecca Oliver