Emerging Alumni Leader Award Winners 2026

Introducing your 2026 winners

2026 Alumni Award winner Dr Mariatulqabtiah Abdul Razak

Dr Mariatulqabtiah Abdul Razak

Dr Mariatulqabtiah Abdul Razak (PhD Clinical Medicine 2011) has been recognised nationally and internationally for her growing influence in vaccinology. The co-recipient of the prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award (Malaysia, 2022), she has inspired young women the world over. She is currently Associate Professor and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences Universiti Putra Malaysia.

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2026 Alumni Award winner Dr Jiajun Cen

Dr Jiajun Cen

Dr Jiajun Cen (PhD Chemical Engineering 2020) is a Forbes 30 Under 30 clean energy pioneer and the CEO and founder of climate tech startup AQUABATTERY. The company makes rechargeable batteries that use saltwater as a storage medium instead of lithium, providing a safe, sustainable and low-cost alternative for energy storage.

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2026 Alumni Award winner Dr Ibolya Kepiro

Dr Ibolya Kepiro

Dr Ibolya Kepiro (PhD Physics 2011), is a leading expert at London’s National Physical Laboratory in the lesser-known but quietly important science of biometrology – measurement in the life sciences. Her pioneering work has led to novel standards that underpin life-saving research in vaccinology, virology and drug development, earning her multiple prestigious awards.

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Emerging Alumni Leaders 2026

2026 Alumni Award winner Dr Joana Moscoso

Dr Joana Moscoso

Dr Joana Moscoso (PhD Life Sciences Research 2013) is the Director of Native Scientists, where her work ensures that young children have the chance to engage with science in their native language. An MIT Innovator Under 35, her work has been recognised by UNESCO, the Royal Society of Biology, the New European Bauhaus Awards and the Euclid Network.

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2026 Alumni Award winner Kolawole Osinowo

Kolawole Osinowo

Kolawole Osinowo (MBA 2020) is an emerging leader in social innovation who has dedicated his career to improving access to technology and clean, reliable energy across Africa. As CEO of Izili, his tireless efforts and leadership have enabled hundreds of thousands of people in remote communities to have access to electricity, earning him recognition as a Global Good Fund Fellow.

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2026 Alumni Award winner Dr Tunde Oyebamiji

Dr Tunde Oyebamiji

Dr Tunde Oyebamiji (MPH Public Health 2023) combines medicine, research, and digital innovation to improve trauma outcomes across continents. Alongside his groundbreaking research, he has launched two mission-driven ventures in Nigeria that save lives and support emergency care for tens of thousands of patients.

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Dr Ibolya Kepiro
My time at Imperial was truly formative. I completed my PhD in 2011, developing a novel imaging instrument and validating it for early diagnosis of retinal diseases at the cellular level. That experience really shaped the way I approach scientific and technological innovation today. Dr Ibolya Kepiro Winner of the Emerging Alumni Leader Award 2026
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