Runner Up

Professor Antonis C. Antoniou (Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Team Application )

CanRisk: personalising cancer risk prediction for prevention and early detection

The multidisciplinary CanRisk Team has developed CanRisk, the first multifactorial, evidence-based cancer risk model and tool empowering women and healthcare professionals worldwide to make informed decisions about breast and ovarian cancer risk. Built on 17 years of collaborative research, CanRisk integrates genetic, lifestyle and clinical data to deliver personalised risk assessments that support more appropriate prevention and early-detection strategies, improving outcomes for thousands of women each year. With almost 28,00 clinical users across over 130 countries and >6.2 million clinical assessments since 2020, it is the first cancer risk tool to receive UK and EU medical device approval. Endorsed by NICE, the NHS, ESMO and the American Cancer Society, CanRisk is transforming global cancer prevention and early detection. 

Runner up

Professor Mark de Rond (Cambridge Judge Business School, School of Technology, Team application)

To Catch a Predator: When Righteous Fury Becomes Exploitation  

Over four years of embedded fieldwork, Mark de Rond gained unique insight into the world of paedophile hunters. De Rond’s bold ethnographic research sheds light on the complex motivations behind the extreme practice of baiting and publicly exposing suspected paedophiles. Working alongside police, the Home Office, CPS and NCA, insights from de Rond’s research led to changes in police policy and now, via an award-winning global hit documentary and widely read book, his research is helping the public grapple with complex moral questions mobilized by citizen activism. 

Highly Commended

Professor Henrik Salje (Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Team Application)

Understanding and reducing the global burden from chikungunya virus 

Chikungunya virus is spread by mosquitoes with 2.8 billion people at risk with climate change further expanding its global reach. Infection can result in debilitating joint pain and death. The first chikungunya vaccine has been licensed; however, it is unclear how to use it, driven by a poor understanding of where the pathogen circulates. We have developed a multifaceted research and impact program to tackle the growing burden from chikungunya. We work with funders, national governments, the WHO, Gavi and vaccine manufacturers to develop an evidence base that supports national and global vaccine investment and implementation programs.

Highly Commended

Professor Matthias Zilbauer (Stem Cell Institute, School of Clinical Medicine, Team application)

Translational Research in Intestinal Physiology and Pathology 

The Zilbauer Lab and the Cambridge Centre for Children’s Gut Health unite patients, clinicians, and scientists to transform understanding and treatment of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Using patient-derived “mini-guts,” the team uncovered stable epigenetic changes that help explain why Crohn’s disease severity and treatment response vary between individuals. Their discoveries, featured by the BBC, are paving the way for personalised therapies while inspiring national recognition of patient partnership in research. Through close collaboration with young volunteers and families, the team exemplifies how meaningful engagement drives pioneering biomedical discovery and improves care for children living with lifelong gut conditions. 

Runner Up

Dr Jacob Smith and Dr Tamas Mona (Department of Plant Sciences, School of the Biological Sciences)

Delivering Early Warning Forecasting Systems for diseases of wheat: Models for Risk Assessment and Advisory Services for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia 

Jacob Smith and Tamas Mona have developed models that underpin an early warning and advisory system for wheat diseases, producing weekly advice on the risk of outbreaks, giving time for small holders to take preventative action. This service, developed in collaboration with the UK Met Office and the international non-profit organisation CIMMYT, provides early warnings for major wheat diseases that threaten crop production in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The system is designed to provide governments and national food agencies with early warnings of disease risk that are cascaded to smallholder farmers for timely interventions to save harvests and increase resilience. 

Runner Up

Professor Alicja Dabrowska (Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of the Biological Sciences)

Expanding access to water quality monitoring – the WaterScope project  

The WaterScope project addresses the global burden of waterborne diseases – which cause 1.8 million deaths annually – by transforming access to microbiological water testing in low-resource settings. Developed through human-centred and participatory approaches, the WaterScope system enables community-led detection of water contamination. All designs, protocols, and software are open source, allowing anyone worldwide to build and use the system. Field trials and partnerships across Africa and Asia have empowered local users, informed public-health decisions, and strengthened the capacity of charities and citizen-science groups. WaterScope testing has already guided actions affecting more than 50,000 people, with local manufacturing initiatives supporting long-term global impact. 

Highly Commended

Dr Saleyha Ahsan (Department of Engineering, School of Technology)

Healthcare in conflict: consensus development on the challenges of delivering healthcare in armed conflict  

Building on Dr Saleyha Ahsan’s WHO–WISH 2024 report In the Line of Fire, which identified the lack of global and interdisciplinary consensus on challenges to healthcare in armed conflict, this workshop advanced this agenda through collaborative analysis. Bringing together MSF, ICRC, MAP, AOAV, the RAF, Forensic Architecture, Sky News, Ukrainian paramedics, clinicians, engineers, journalists, and academics, it helped establish shared understanding across sectors and produced concrete steps toward future consensus development. 

Runner Up

Dr Aditi Vedi (Department of Paediatrics. School of Clinical Medicine)

Ultrafast whole genome sequencing to enable personalised treatments for childhood cancer 

Ultra-Fast Whole Genome Sequencing can transform the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer by delivering comprehensive genomic results within three days, the necessary step-change required from the six-week turnaround of current NHS pathways. Research developed through a unique collaboration between the University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Illumina, evaluated constellation mapped read technology to study how rapid, high‑accuracy genomic approaches can be applied to support timely, safer and more personalised care for children, with this research showing 50% of participants could benefit. This pioneering study has shown that rapid, high-accuracy genomics can be embedded in NHS practice, shaping the future of precision medicine for children with cancer and rare diseases.

Runner Up

Kiri Dargaville (THIS Institute, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine)

The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth Programme 

The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, takes a whole-system approach to improving maternity safety. Led by the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and THIS Institute, ABC developed protocols and training to improve detection and response to fetal deterioration during childbirth and manage an obstetric emergency called impacted fetal head at caesarean birth. A diverse Patient and Public Involvement Panel shaped every stage, ensuring communication principles and resources were inclusive and relevant. Collective input influenced national policy, with ABC scheduled for rollout September 2025. 

Highly Commended

Dr Anne-Marie Burn (Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine)

SORTS: Co-produced online training resource empowering school staff to support students who self-harm 

SORTS (Supportive Response to Self-harm) is transforming how schools support students who self-harm. Co-produced with the Charlie Waller Trust and school staff from four secondary schools, including mental health leads, SORTS combines research evidence with lived experience to create practical, compassionate training for schools. Since its launch, over 2,500 staff across 370 schools have completed the e-learning, reporting greater understanding and confidence in responding to self-harm. Recommended by the Mayor of London’s 'Healthy Schools London' programme and featured on the Anna Freud Centre’s 'Mentally Healthy Schools' website, SORTS is achieving national reach and real-world impact in strengthening school-based self-harm support.  

Highly Commended

Dr Daniel Hugenroth (Department of Computer Science and Technology, School of Technology)

From research lab to newsroom: deploying secure whistleblower technology in practice  

CoverDrop allows sources to contact journalists securely and anonymously via a standard news app, overcoming the “initial contact problem”. Developed through a three-year collaboration between the Department of Computer Science and Technology and The Guardian, the project evolved from user workshops to a large-scale real-world deployment. Now integrated into the official Guardian app (branded “SecureMessaging”) downloaded by millions of Android and iOS users, it provides a vital channel for public-interest whistleblowing. CoverDrop offers significantly better usability and security than existing tools, demonstrating how rigorous academic research can be translated into a tangible service that strengthens investigative journalism and democratic accountability.