LSTM’s Isabel Saldanha has won a Papin Prize, the only UK awards dedicated to celebrating technical excellence and innovation in higher education and research.
Isabel was awarded best Contribution to Knowledge Exchange, given to a technician who has made a significant contribution to delivering knowledge exchange and innovation activities on behalf of their institution.
Zachary Stavrou-Dowd was also highly commended in the same category.
The awards were presented at the Higher Education Technicians Summit (HETS) by Sara Davies MBE, founder of Craft Companion and T Levels ambassador. HETS is organised by the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy and Midlands Innovation and sponsored by UK Research and Innovation.
Isabel first joined LSTM as a Research Technician in 2019, focusing on laboratory-based analysis of tsetse flies for the presence of trypanosomes that cause African sleeping sickness. Based on her independent research that started during COVID lockdowns, she developed a mobile laboratory, ‘m-lab’ in collaboration with Dr Lucas Cunningham, to help detect trypanosomes in rural settings where basic facilities are absent. Using her technical skills and knowledge in collaboration with three local technicians, the m-lab was tested in a historic sleeping sickness region in north west Uganda. Uganda achieved elimination of West African sleeping sickness disease in 2022. This historic achievement was also aided by LSTM researchers using Tiny Targets to control tsetse fly vectors. Using the m-lab, the Ugandan team were able to successfully extract DNA from tsetse and confirm the continued absence of trypanosomes that cause sleeping sickness, but did detect trypanosomes that can cause disease in livestock.
Isabel said: “I feel very honoured to have won this award, particularly for a project that has meant so much to me. Thank you so much to technicians Victor, Edward and Alex, the wider Ugandan team and my supervisors and colleagues in the Tsetse Collective for their support, guidance and enthusiasm throughout.”
The Ugandan team consists of:
Victor Drapari, Edward Aziku, Alex Trima (technicians), Henry Ombanya, Irene, Angelo, David, Joshua, Tiger (Arua support staff), Dr Albert Mugenyi (principal investigator, COCTU)
The Tsetse Collective consists of researchers working on different elements of tsetse ecology at LSTM. For Isabel's m-lab project, she was supervised by Professor Steve Torr, Dr Lucas Cunningham and Dr Martha Betson (University of Surrey) with additional support and guidance from Dr Andrew Hope, Sophie Dunkley and Dr Inaki Tirados.
Zachary’s research and technical expertise spans innovative approaches to insecticide resistance, gene drive technology, and mosquito metabolic pathways to improve vector control strategies. He also mentors PhD students from Burkina Faso and the UK, helping to build global vector biology research capacity, serves as a guest postgraduate lecturer and has achieved Associate Fellow status with Advance HE.
He said: “I am delighted to have been highly commended in the Papin Prize for Knowledge Exchange, representing LSTM. Working with colleagues and developing together is one of the most rewarding parts of my journey so far.”
LSTM is a proud signatory to the Technicians Commitment, a university and research institution initiative that aims to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.
Dr Sarah Roberts, Head of Faculty Operations at LSTM, and Executive Sponsor of the Technicians Commitment, who attended the Papin Prizes ceremony, said: “We are incredibly proud to see Isabel recognised with a prestigious Papin Award in the Knowledge Exchange category. The Papin Prizes are national recognition of the vital contributions technicians make to research, teaching, and innovation every day. I would also like to warmly congratulate Zach, who was highly commended by the judging panel — a fantastic endorsement of the strength and impact of technical expertise within our institution.
“As signatories to the Technician Commitment, LSTM is passionate about supporting our technical workforce and championing visibility, recognition, career development, and sustainability across all pillars of the Commitment. As Executive Sponsor, I’m delighted to see the work of our technical community celebrated on such a prominent stage — their excellence underpins so much of what we do.”