The Suffrage Science Awards, conceived to honour pioneering women in science, celebrated achievement in the Life Sciences in March 2026. The awards took place on the evening of Monday 9 March 2026, when 11 recipients received their awards at a dual-venue ceremony in the heart of the University of Oxford's Science Area.
Among the awardees there were two professors of the Medical Sciences Division.
Professor Kate Watkins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Experimental Psychology.
Professor Watkins was nominated by eminent neuroscientist Faraneh Vargha-Khadem. She said in her nomination: 'It is my great pleasure to nominate Professor Kate Watkins as a recipient of the 2026 Suffrage Science Awards. Kate is a leading cognitive neuroscientist whose research has transformed our understanding of the neural basis of speech and language. Starting from her PhD project, Kate has carried out ground-breaking research in developmental speech and language disorders, including verbal and oral-motor dyspraxia associated with a mutation in the FOXP2 gene, and developmental stuttering. She leads the Brain, Speech and Language Research Group at the University of Oxford where she has combined state of the art neuroimaging techniques with non-invasive brain stimulation to deliver mechanistic insights with clear translational implications. She has also provided exceptional academic leadership and service to the field.'
Read more about Kate Watkin’s award on the Department of Experimental Psychology website.
Professor Chrystalina Antoniades, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
Professor Antoniades was nominated for the award by Professor Lynn Rochester, Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, University of Newcastle who said: 'Professor Antoniades is leading work transforming the way people with neurodegenerative brain conditions (such as Parkinson’s) are diagnosed and monitored. Her contributions are helping to fundamentally change how new therapies are evaluated and inform personalised treatments, ultimately improving the lives of people worldwide. Her scientific discovery and support of early career researchers is balanced against her talent and passion to engage the public and patients with these conditions about her work – building trust in science. She is truly deserving of this award.'