Raquel Lopez-Rios De Castro Wins Joceyln Bell Burnell Award and Medal

Named after Dame Jocelyn Bell who first discovered the ‘pulsar’ variant of the neutron star in 1967, the award is given to very early career female scientists who have already made excellent contributions in the field.

In addition to her work combining computer simulations with experimental biochemistry to design polymers to target cancerous cells, Raquel has played a leading role in increasing the visibility of women in STEM. First in her role in King’s Women in Physics student society, and then as the student head of the EDI committee of the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme, she has led on a number of initiatives focussed on having honest conversations with students about academia. From speaking on topics such as misconduct in reporting procedures, supervisor biases, and the experience of minoritised groups, Raquel and other EDI committee members developed a paper to improve procedure for academic misconduct for UKRI.

Thanking those around her, Raquel said upon receiving her award: "I am thrilled to have been awarded the Jocelyn Bell Burnell medal.

'I would like to thank my supervisors Professor Christian Lorenz and Professor Martin Ulmschneider for mentoring me throughout my PhD and always encouraging me to pursue projects within and outside of my PhD project. Additionally, I want to thank Dr Claire Russell for supporting our EDI initiatives and providing us with the necessary space to develop them."

See original KCL article