Congratulations to Assistant Professor Mark Pickering, who has been announced by The Royal Microscopical Society as this year’s recipient of its Chris Hawes Outreach and Education Award in recognition of his contributions to public outreach and education.
One of the oldest learned societies for promoting microscopy, the Royal Microscopical Society, awarded Dr Pickering the prestigious prize at its AGM earlier this month.
After receiving the award, the UCD School Of Medicine academic said he was “genuinely proud” of the work he and his team had done and would continue to do to remove barriers to “scientific exploration and seeding new communities of discovery.”
“It's my name on the award, but I just represent a small part of a bigger team effort,” added Dr Pickering.
Created in honour of the late Professor Chris Hawes, former President of the RMS, for his contributions to the Society and work on showcasing to the public the many benefits of microscopy, the RMS’ Outreach and Education Award is given annually to those seen as keen advocates for science and microscopy as a whole, and who’ve inspired people to take a keener interest in the subject.
A neuroscientist, microscopist and educator at the UCD School of Medicine, Dr Pickering’s main area of research is focused on understanding the factors underpinning the structure and function of the nervous systems.
Alongside his research activities at UCD, public and community engagement and involvement in science are cornerstones of his work. By not only informing and engaging the broader community about science but also empowering them to become active participants in the process of science themselves, he aims to democratise the process of discovery.