Dr Paola Pinilla (Mullard Space Science Laboratory) and Dr Michael Booth (UCL Chemistry) are among nine finalists in the UK for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists.
The awards recognise scientific advances by UK researchers across life sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering.
Dr Pinilla, a finalist in the physical sciences and engineering category, investigates how planets form from discs of dust and gas around young stars.
Her work has uncovered "pressure bumps" that trap dust and allow planets to form. Using telescopes and computer models, she shows where planets are forming and how water and life’s building blocks reach them, revealing how planetary systems like our own begin.
Dr Pinilla said: "It is an incredible honour to be a finalist of the Blavatnik Awards. It acknowledges the collective efforts of the planet formation and exoplanet communities. It also serves as an inspiration for the next generation of women in STEM, particularly in developing countries - such as Colombia, where I am from - where women in STEM remain highly underrepresented. I am very thankful for all the opportunities and support I have received throughout my career."
Dr Booth is a finalist in the chemical sciences category. His research focuses on nucleic acids - molecules that carry genetic information. Dr Booth and his team engineer nucleic acids that respond to light and magnetic fields, enabling remote control of genetic activity, smart drug delivery, and biological computing. Their discoveries are opening new, safer approaches to developing powerful nucleic acid-based therapies.
Dr Booth said: "It is an incredible honour to be recognised with this Blavatnik Award for my group’s work to unlock new ways to use DNA molecules for biological and medical applications."
An independent jury of expert scientists selected this year’s finalists from a pool of 91 nominees representing 46 academic and research institutions across the UK.
Three 2026 laureates, chosen from the nine finalists, will be announced at an awards ceremony in London later this month.
Now in its ninth year, each Blavatnik Awards Laureate will receive an unrestricted £100,000 (US$135,000) prize, while the remaining six Finalists will be awarded £30,000 (US$40,400) each.
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK are supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and independently administered by the New York Academy of Sciences.
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