2021 Science Writing Competition Results

We are pleased to announce the results of the 2021 Bio-Rad Science Writing Competition.

Once again, we had entries from all over the world, across a variety of subjects in the life sciences. Many articles were written to a very high standard and our judging panel had the difficult job of shortlisting and picking the final three winners. The passion for research shown by entrants, and their ability to write eloquently about their PhD subject, or other aspects of research life, really impressed us.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition and to the following exceptional writers who are this year’s winners:

1^st Place

Keira Lee Rice

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

"Fin"tech: Zebrafish Models

Keira’s enthusiasm about her PhD topic and model organism, zebrafish, is clearly conveyed in her article through the warmth of her tone. The judges were impressed by her writing style and her hand drawn illustrations that accompany her article, which add a touch of humor to the discussion of her PhD subject.

Keira wins a commemorative trophy, a copy of “The Scientist’s Guide to Writing: How to Write More Easily and Effectively throughout Your Scientific Career” and Science Writing Mentorship from our Lab Crunches Editor. Congratulations Keira!

Read Her Winning Entry

2^nd Place

Ashlea Morgan

Columbia University, New York, USA

Thoughts of Mice: Understanding the Role Serotonin Plays in Cognitive Flexibility

Ashlea impressed the judges with her articulate description of her PhD project and style throughout. A really interesting read that highlights the role of translational animal models in neuroscience research.

Ashlea wins a copy of “The Scientist’s Guide to Writing: How to Write More Easily and Effectively throughout Your Scientific Career” and a commemorative certificate.

Her blog will be published on Lab Crunches in August.

3^rd Place

Katelyn O'Neill

University of Miami, Florida, USA

Gamma Delta T cells: The Unsung Heroes of Immunology

Katelyn impressed the judges with her exceptional grammar and style in this informative article and her enthusiasm for her PhD research really shone through to make it a very enjoyable read.  

Her blog will be published on Lab Crunches in August. She also receives a commemorative certificate.

The following writers were highly commended by the judges for their articles:

Temitayo Bamgbose

Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Nanotechnology Taking Mainstage in COVID-19 Therapy

Grace Gregory

University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

The Cancer-Therapy Arms Race

Katherine Lowles

University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

What Makes Us Tick?

Elisa Ly

Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

A Different Kettle of FISH: the Revolution of Leukemia Testing

Md Hassan uz-Zaman

University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA

Science of Small, Unknown Places