Karen Davies Poster Prize

The Karen Davies Prize was established in memory of Dr Karen M. Davies, a highly respected structural cell biologist who brought scientific brilliance, dedication, and generosity of spirit to the field. At the time of her untimely passing in February 2025, Karen was a Principal EM Scientist at the electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC) at Diamond Light Source.

The Karen Davies Prize, established by Diamond, is intended to commemorate her work and celebrate her life. It is awarded annually for the best poster presented at the CCP-EM Spring Symposium, and includes a cash award.

2026 Karen Davies Prize Committee Members

Peijun Zhang (Chair), Diamond Light Source
Dan Clare,  Diamond Light Source
Éilís Bragginton, Diamond Light Source
Martin Walsh, Diamond Light Source

There are no requirements for entry into the competition. All posters presented at the annual CCP-EM Spring Symposium will be eligible. A panel of judges, appointed by the Karen Davies Prize Committee, will evaluate the posters and select the winner during the meeting. Preference will be given to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are embarking on careers in any aspect of structural cell biology. The winner will be announced, and the cash award presented, at the end of the Friday afternoon session.

Karen Davies Prize Award Winners

The inaugural Karen Davies Prize was awarded to Isobel Hirst on 25 April 2025 for the poster presented at CCP-EM Spring Symposium XI, titled “Insights into the toxicity of Vip3Aa using STA and single particle cryoEM”. The prize will henceforth be awarded annually for the best poster presented at the CCP-EM Spring Symposium.