Samantha Donnellan’s Churchill Fellowship work on TB treatments took her to South Africa and the USA
An Edinburgh Napier University scientist has been presented with a Churchill Medallion for her research on testing treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Dr Samantha Donnellan was awarded the Churchill Fellowship in 2018 – a programme named in honour of Sir Winston Churchill which aims to develop new solutions to challenges faced around the world.
Samantha was based at the University of Cape Town and Harvard University during her study, which explored new and safe treatments for TB, as well as ethical ways of screening new drugs. It was completed in 2020 – but the award ceremony to mark her achievement was postponed by the pandemic.
The ENU lecturer said: “The Churchill Fellowship is really a fantastic community to be part of, warm, encouraging and inspiring, but also very well connected around the world.
“My TB research has opened up many collaborations, especially from my time in Cape Town. In fact, I am currently in the process of applying for a grant with a fellow lab scientist I met at Stellenbosch University – and my time interviewing TB patients in South Africa has certainly changed the way I view my research.”
As well as joining a global community of researchers, Churchill Fellows are presented with an engraved medallion and are entitled to add the letters CF after their name.
This week’s ceremony at Church House Westminster was led by Sir Winston Churchill’s two grandsons, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames and Rt Hon Jeremy Soames.
Samantha added: “They gave powerful speeches about the impact of the Fellowship globally, how they are honoured to be part of it and how their grandfather would have been very proud.
“I would encourage anyone with a good idea to apply.”