• Helen Elwood and Paul Knobbs have won the Biochemical Society 2027 Research Support Award
• Helen is the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) laboratory manager, while Paul is the AIME manager
• The award celebrates the skills and experience of support staff within education, research, and industry.

Two members of Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), Helen Elwood and Paul Knobbs, have won the Biochemical Society 2027 Research Support Award.

The award is presented to an individual or team demonstrating an outstanding contribution and impact to a team, department, organisation or field of science, and celebrates the skills and experience of support staff within education, research, and industry. The Biochemical Society, a UK learned society in the field of biochemistry, presents its awards annually. Candidates are nominated by their peers, and the winners are agreed by a judging panel of respected scientists from across a range of different scientific backgrounds.

Helen is the AIME laboratory manager. She has contributed to the development of AIME’s laboratories and is focused on enabling high-quality research, while championing the visibility, recognition, and career development of technical professionals in science. She has a degree in biological sciences and experience across community pharmacy, aseptic production and academic labs.

Paul is the AIME manager and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Institute, short-, medium- and long-term strategy and planning, internal and external profile raising and maintenance, and other duties as required. He likens managing a new research institute to managing a high-tech start-up. His skills were honed in a number of roles, including at a greengrocer’s, a strawberry farm, a clay pigeon shooting club, local government, and government quangos, before joining higher education.

Helen and Paul will receive their prize and deliver an award or medal lecture in 2027. All the awards and medal lectureships carry a range of career enhancing opportunities and as winners, they will also be invited to submit an article to one of the Society’s journals.

Helen and Paul said:

“We thank our institute colleagues for nominating us. This award is a great honour. It is reflection of the collaborative and supportive environment within our research institute.

“It highlights the value of technical and support roles, particularly female technicians, within the research environment. This award comes at an exciting time for AIME as we move into our brand-new lab.”

Professor Steve Busby, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Birmingham, and Chair of the Biochemical Society’s Awards Committee, said:

“My personal congratulations to each one of the 2027 Biochemical Society Award winners. Each year, the Awards Committee is presented with an exceptional pool of candidates, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in the nominations and selection process, especially those who took the time to nominate. The breadth of award categories continues to reflect the diversity and excellence of work across our community, spanning all career stages. It is particularly encouraging to see continued recognition of professional educators, whose innovative teaching methods continue to inspire the next generation of bioscientists. Throughout 2027, awardees will have the opportunity to share their work at a Biochemical Society meeting or webinar, and I encourage everyone to look out for these events.”