Dr Catherine Regan (Mullard Space Science Laboratory at UCL) has been awarded the Jocelyn Bell Burnell medal and prize for engaging school children in Mars exploration and for her research on Martian dust storms.
In its citation for the award, the Institute of Physics described Dr Regan as an "inspiring role model for the next generation of scientists", pointing to her leadership of the "Eyes on Mars" outreach project as well as her own novel research on Mars.
The "Eyes on Mars" project has engaged 8,000 school children aged seven to 13 in the science and engineering of the panoramic camera system (PanCam) of the Rosalind Franklin rover, part of the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission. (The PanCam, which was designed, tested and built by a UCL-led team, is expected to head to Mars in 2028.)
The outreach was specifically for under-served groups, including 250 children in hospitals or hospices with terminal or chronic illnesses and unable to attend school.
The citation also praised Dr Regan's research on how global dust storms on Mars affect the boundaries of the planet's magnetic bubble (its magnetosphere). It said that, through her analysis of spacecraft observations from Mars Express and MAVEN, she was "re-defining our knowledge of plasma [ionised gas] physics at Mars".
The Jocelyn Bell Burnell medal and prize are awarded for exceptional early-career contributions to physics by a female physicist.
Dr Regan (Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) at UCL and West Virginia University) said: "I am so honoured to receive the Jocelyn Bell Burnell medal, joining a long line of inspirational female physicists. It is a privilege to have your work and efforts recognised and this prize adds to the celebration of my six years at MSSL."
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics, and the leading body for practising physicists, in the UK and Ireland. Its annual awards proudly reflect the wide variety of people, places, organisations and achievements involved in physics.
Congratulating this year's award winners, Institute of Physics President, Professor Sir Keith Burnett, said: "On behalf of the Institute of Physics, I want to congratulate all of this year's award winners.
"Today's world faces many challenges which physics will play an absolutely fundamental part in addressing, whether it's securing the future of our economy or the transition to sustainable energy production and net zero.
"Our award winners are in the vanguard of that work and each one has made a significant and positive impact in their profession, whether as a researcher, teacher, industrialist, technician or apprentice. I hope they are incredibly proud of their achievements."
