NHLI Celebrates Staff Recognition Success Across the Board

From research to relocation, NHLI teams and individuals were recognised across multiple categories at the Staff Recognition Awards and Garden Party.

The annual Staff Recognition Awards and Imperial Garden Party, which took place on Thursday 3rd July, and the Provost Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 27 May, shine a spotlight on the incredible contributions of staff and students across the university.

This year, the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) is proud to celebrate an exceptional showing across a wide range of award categories, recognising individual achievements, team efforts, and commitment to excellence in research, leadership, and societal engagement.

Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety

The Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety recognises individuals and teams whose efforts have resulted in significant improvements to health and safety in the university over the past year.

The Team Award Winner this year was the NHLI VPD Move Project Team. The team, made up of Sue Francis (Safety and Technical Services Manager), Mandy Hipwell, Hime Gashaw and Gill Martin (Laboratory Managers) were recognised for their leadership during the complex relocation to the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh (VPD) building at the Hammersmith Campus ensured a safe and well-organised transition for more than 30 research groups.

Speaking to the team of their success, they said:

"The award is about the recognition of all the coordinating and hard work that we've put in over the last few years. Pulling [the move] together and delivering it in the face of various challenges and getting the teams up and running in VPD quicker than anticipated is a testament to the hard work of the team."

Together, the team agrees that this award recognises their technical skills in organising the move of 30+ research groups from two campuses to a third and all the intricacies that come with it. From rearranging freezer rooms to ensure there was enough space to house a number of vital -80 freezers, to moving approximately 80,000 liquid nitrogen samples, they came together as a team and have truly set a precedent for other teams to follow in the future.

On top of receiving the Provost Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety, the team (with the addition of former NHLI Laboratory Technician, Sasha Ashbourne-Lewis who has recently moved into the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction) was also recognised and nominated to attend the Imperial Garden Party for demonstrating extraordinary effort and support during the move of parts of NHLI to the Hammersmith Hospital campus.

Sasha said:

"The reward for me comes from the comments of others; lots of appreciation from the wider group and my fellow hardworking technicians hired along the journey to assist with the relocation project."

Provost's Award for Excellence in Animal Research

This award celebrates good practice by researchers and staff currently working at Imperial.

Winners of the Provost's Award for Excellence in Animal Research this year include:

Professor Cesare Terraciano (Chair in Biomedical Engineering), Danika Hayman, Fatemeh Kermani (Research Associates), Parisa Keshtkar, Lorenza Koppers, Fani Koutentaki (Research Postgraduate), and Sam Reitemeier (Laboratory Technician).

The work leading to the award is described below by Professor Terraciano:

"Like many other laboratories interested in mechanistic and therapeutic research, the team headed by Professor Cesare Terracciano has been involved in animal research for many years. However, during the last 5 years, the laboratory has not performed any animal procedure. The nature and the techniques involved in our research on the electrophysiology of heart disease have not changed but we have replaced animal models entirely with in vitro human models.

"We have fully implemented the opportunity of using donor human hearts for cardiovascular research. We currently run all our projects, that in the past would have required animals, in human myocardial slices from human hearts."

While the award was presented to those mentioned above, Cesare feels it reflects the broader efforts and collaborative spirit of the entire Terracciano Lab team:

"The challenges to overcome have been enormous: there is significant involvement by all members of the team to use donor human hearts. The human hearts are offered at any time of day and night, weekdays and weekends and experiments must be performed promptly; members of the team are on a rota for the collection of hearts 24/7. This requires a very significant commitment, compensated by the knowledge that these studies are relevant and translational, and replace animal research.

"This award is a clear recognition that we are on the right path to achieve our goal of finding therapies for heart disease. We have opened an unprecedented opportunity for cardiovascular research, and we enthusiastically start to explore new knowledge derived exclusively for human tissue, that is more relevant for patients. We are looking forward to, and actively encourage the diffusion of our non-animal approach to the rest of the scientific community."

President’s Awards for Excellence in Research

Excellence in Impact, which encompasses Policy, Enterprise, Engagement or Translation impact, aims to celebrate individuals or Teams whose research endeavours transcend academic boundaries, creating tangible, positive changes in society and the environment while exemplifying Imperial’s values in action.

This year, Professor Steven Niederer, Chair in Biomedical Engineering, has received the President's Award for Excellence in Impact.

Steven Nierderer talks of his work that has led to the award:

"The award recognises our work on creating digital twins of the heart, personalized computer models that simulate an individual's cardiovascular function. These models are designed to enhance diagnosis, improve treatment planning, and accelerate drug development by making sense of complex clinical data. We've achieved this by integrating advanced modelling, machine learning, imaging, and data from implanted sensors to build tools that can inform both personalised patient care and large-scale clinical studies.

"Computational models of the heart are an incredibly exciting idea. For the past two decades, we've been dedicated to transforming this research concept into a practical clinical tool capable of developing therapies, guiding procedures, and ultimately impacting patient care. This award represents another significant milestone in the evolution of the computational cardiology field, reflecting the work we've been doing here at Imperial." 

President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement

The President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement recognises staff members who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to deliver inspiring engagement activities or supported the development of a culture of societal engagement.The Let's Talk About Cough team - including Ellen Dowell (Creative Producer of Public Engagement), Eric Dubois, Michael Wortley (Academic Visitors), and Billy Baxter (Research Associate from Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction) - are the Winners of the President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement (Team).

The Let's Talk about Cough project aims to bring public awareness and empathy to a condition that impacts around one in 10 people in the UK and in 2024, it received the Grassroots Production Award at the 2024 Audio Production Awards.

Team member Ellen said:

"One in ten people experience chronic cough. It can last for decades and have a debilitating impact, including broken ribs, sleepless nights, incontinence, blackouts, social isolation, and emotional stress. However, chronic cough is persistently dismissed and trivialised as ‘just a cough’. "Let’s Talk About Cough is a public engagement project that creates empathy and understanding about chronic cough by sharing stories in creative ways. The project began with a programme of workshops bringing together researchers and people with lived experience of chronic cough. Creative facilitators led 24 participants to exchange their experiences, building a rich picture of chronic cough and its impact on people’s lives. Together, we transformed this collective understanding into One in Ten, an immersive audio experience for public libraries, and a pocketbook about living with cough.

"The level of commitment from participants and collaborators on the project has been incredible. There are lived experience participants and researchers who attended focus groups in early 2020 who are now, in 2025, attending awards events as equal members of the collaborative team. They have voiced their own stories as part of our audio experience One in Ten, they have engaged with audience members in public libraries, at festivals and conferences and they have transformed each other’s perspectives through sharing and exchanging their experiences and understanding of chronic cough."

President’s Award for Excellence in Culture and Community

The President’s Awards for Excellence in Culture and Community recognise staff who have made outstanding contributions over the last year in Leadership, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, and Sustainability.

Samuel Evetts, Health Protection Research Unit Manager has received the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership this year, for staff who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and management at all levels within the university.

Of receiving the award, Sam said:

"I am deeply honoured to receive the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership; Culture and Community, 2025. For me, this recognition reflects a shared journey with the remarkable colleagues and collaborators I’ve had the privilege to work with at Imperial. It highlights the importance of creating an inclusive, supportive environment where individuals feel valued and empowered to thrive.

"Over the years, I’ve worked to foster a culture that reflects Imperial’s Values and Behaviours; grounded in the belief that when individuals are well supported and connected to a shared mission, they achieve extraordinary things. This award is not just a personal milestone, but a tribute to the strength of our community and what we can accomplish together.

"My line manager, Professor Ajit Lalvani has been an incredible mentor to me over the last 5 years managing the Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections; giving me the confidence to develop and implement leadership skills that resulted in this award. I have also been blessed to work with an exceptional, dedicated team, all united by a shared purpose; to achieve the greatest possible impact on public health through research."

Sam also received a nomination and an invitation to the Imperial Garden Party for successfully completing a Senior Leader Apprenticeship, achieving a Distinction in his End Point Assessment with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). 

Imperial Garden Party

The Imperial Garden Party is an annual event which celebrates all staff and students who have been nominated by their managers, peers and colleagues for their exceptional contributions to Imperial within the last year. 

It also recognises staff who have supported important projects, provided excellent service, taken on new challenges, or gained a qualification whilst demonstrating commitment to the university’s values and behaviours, Respect, Collaboration, Excellence, Integrity, and Innovation.

Dawn Burby, Personal Assistant/Administrator to Head of Institute, was nominated for demonstrating passion and innovation within the PA & Administrator's Network (PAAN) Committee.

Vincenzo Salerno, Section Manager, was nominated for successfully completing a Team Leader/Supervisor Apprenticeship, achieving a Distinction in his End Point Assessment with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Of being nominated, Vincenzo said:

"I am truly delighted to be nominated by the College’s Talent and Culture Division and invited to the Imperial Staff Recognition Awards and Garden Party 2025. This recognition also reflects the broader impact of my work at Imperial. It’s rewarding to see how my efforts and commitment align with and contribute to the College’s values - especially in fostering collaboration, leadership, and excellence - and support positive change across teams and operations.

"One of the biggest challenges I faced was balancing my work responsibilities with the demands of the training programme. Focusing on the latter while seamlessly providing uninterrupted support to my department was a significant challenge. However, I ensured all my responsibilities were covered and deadlines never missed. To overcome this, I focused on efficient time management, staying organised, and prioritising tasks. This experience reinforced the importance of resilience, collaboration, and maintaining high standards, even under pressure."

Congratulations to all of our nominees and winners. NHLI is proud to see our community represented across such a diverse range of awards, from operational excellence and research innovation to societal engagement and leadership development. Your passion, professionalism, and impact help drive NHLI and Imperial forward - thank you for everything you do!