Universities’ trio share £0.3 million as 2025 Blavatnik science laureates
9 Mar 2025
Three university scientists have shared nearly a third of a million pounds in prize money as laureates for this year’s Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK.
Professors Christopher Stewart, Liam Ball and Benjamin Mills won the awards for the life sciences, chemical sciences and physical sciences & engineering categories respectively.
Billed as the largest unrestricted prize for scientists under the age of 42, the awards are administered by the New York Academy of Sciences and funded by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, led by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Leonard Blavatnik.
The winning trio, picked from a shortlist of nine, individually receive £100,000 for their research into diverse areas of science, that include infant mortality, green manufacturing and long-term climate change prediction.
Professor Stewart is investigating microbiome-based therapies for pre-natal infant mortality at his Newcastle university laboratory.
Chemical laureate Liam Ball’s work at Nottingham university is researching green manufacturing at scale, for safer and more efficient methods of producing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals with minimal environmental impact.
Professor Mills, Leeds university’s first Blavatnik laureate, is investigating climate change on earth and in space for long term prediction, also examining how other planets could support life.
Speaking at the recent ceremony, Sir Leonard Blavatnik commented: “We created the Blavatnik Awards to honour promising scientists, early in their careers, where unrestricted financial support and public recognition will give them the confidence to take bold risks in their scientific research that address the world’s most complex and urgent scientific challenges.”
Since inception, the awards which are provided for research bodies in the UK, US and Israel, have recognised 540 scientists from 120 institutions over the 18 year period, drawing on 7,500 applications.
The UK awards have recognised more than 70 honourees from more than 100 research institutions and have contributed more than £3.1 million to UK research.
In all, Blavatnik Awards honourees have gone on to found 50 companies, with six now publicly traded, collectively valued at over $12 billion. Blavatnik scholars have been granted in excess of 7,300 patents, while by the end of 2025, the Blavatnik Awards will have given nearly $20 million in prizes.
Said life sciences laureate Stewart on receipt of his award: “Being named laureate for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK is beyond my wildest dreams.
"The list of previous laureates in the life sciences category is incredible and I am excited, and still in shock, to now be named alongside them.”
Pic: (l to r) Professors Ball, Mills and (far right) Stewart with Sir Leonard Blavatnik second from right.
