Winner
Camila Gaspar Quinonez
Biochemistry BSc, 2016, and Pharmacology, Toxicology & Pharmacy PhD, 2021
Born and raised in Brazil, Camila is the first scientist and PhD holder in her family. After dedicating four years of her academic career to finding new drugs for tuberculosis, Camila’s fascination for microorganisms and passion for bioeconomy led her to climate research.
Camila embarked on working on biotech startups, spearheading the research and development of novel technologies such as animal-vegan cheese made from microorganisms, and developing new enzymes for plastic degradation.
On top of her work as a scientist, she is the co-founder of the Atlantic Forest Association, a conservation initiative dedicated to the preservation of this threatened biome in Brazil.
Through initiatives like iGEM Startups, Camila empowers young innovators to transform scientific ideas into climate-conscious biotech ventures. Being restless for change, Camila strives to realise a more sustainable future – with scientific rigour.
Finalists
Esta Rae
Music Business Management MA, 2019
Esta Rae, a neurodivergent advocate who has dyslexia, dyspraxia, and number dyscalculia, is a recognised public speaker in schools, prisons and corporate companies, educating and inspiring neurodiverse and non-neurodiverse people with her incredible journey in the music industry.
In 2023, Esta Rae was inducted into the Women in Music Roll of Honour for campaigning around neurodiversity in the industry. She is recognised as one of the 2023 top 50 neurodivergent women in the UK, and is a board member for the charity Attitude is Everything which connects disabled people with music and live events.
Esta Rae has appeared in DJ Mag, Notion magazine and more. She has curated awards shows, album launches, artist tours, galas, festivals and more for companies such as Sony Music, GRM Daily, Spotify, Amazon, BBC and Channel 4.
Since Esta Rae graduated in 2019, all of this has been achieved with her learning difficulties, which she describes as gifts.
Maha Javed
Smart Computer Systems BEng, 2023
Shortly after graduation, Maha transitioned into the finance and business industry, becoming one of the few women from Pakistan in global finance.
Alongside her distinguished career, Maha founded eTransform, a digital agency offering comprehensive business solutions. She has worked with over 35 startups, guiding them to achieve sustainable growth and success in today’s competitive market.
Maha has also co-founded StemScape, a nonprofit fostering STEM education. StemScape not only encourages students to pursue STEM subjects, but also provides funding support for their education and living.
Maha’s research contributions have been acknowledged at prestigious events, including the Net Company Awards 2023. She has also been honoured with the Engineering Medal for the sustainable development of a SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm).
Natsuki Kawai
Global Public Health Nutrition MSc, 2019
Natsuki Kawai, a dedicated public health nutritionist, has made a profound impact on supporting malnourished children in Southeast Asia and West Africa.
Notably, Natsuki initiated a hospital meal programme in rural Cambodia for childhood cancer patients. She directed a comprehensive nutrition project in Kandal province, improving the nutritional status of mothers, infants and children by providing balanced meals rich in essential nutrients, managing WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), and promoting nutrition.
Natsuki's strategic planning led to concrete results: decreasing wasting rates from 31% to 17%; achieving a 93% dietary diversity ratio; and improving meal intake for infants and children in the hospital.
Natsuki has presented her work at prestigious conferences and currently serves as a Nutrition Officer at UNICEF's West and Central Africa regional office, working tirelessly to prevent childhood malnutrition.