Broad Area Award · 2026
The ten finalist universities are the ten highest-scoring across all 5 subject indices in life sciences (Agricultural & Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology, Immunology & Microbiology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Toxicology & Pharmaceutics), from 827 universities ranked in every one of them. 8 finalists are represented by a verified academic and project from the subject awards.
The finalists
Metabolic modeling of single Th17 cells reveals regulators of autoimmunity
Th17 cells are central to immune defence but can also drive autoimmune disease. Building metabolic models of individual cells, the work looks for the regulators that tip them towards autoimmunity, an approach that treats cellular metabolism as a source of control rather than as background chemistry.
Transcriptional signature in microglia associated with Aβ plaque phagocytosis
Microglia are central to Alzheimer's disease, but they are not all doing the same thing. By separating microglia that contain amyloid plaque material from those that do not, the study identified distinct transcriptional trajectories in ageing and disease, and showed that the plaque-containing signature also appears in a subset of microglia taken from human Alzheimer's brains.
Antidepressants suit some patients and not others, and part of that difference is inherited. This guideline sets out how variation in the drug-metabolising genes CYP2D6, CYP2C19 and CYP2B6, together with the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 and the receptor gene HTR2A, relates to the dosing, effectiveness and tolerability of serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, updating and expanding earlier clinical recommendations.
Guidelines for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies (third edition)
The featured academic for this entry is under editorial verification and will be named ahead of the winners announcement.
Dissolvable polymer microneedles for drug delivery and diagnostics
The featured academic for this entry is under editorial verification and will be named ahead of the winners announcement.
For 24 years the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database has offered a curated, searchable repository of HLA sequences, covering the most polymorphic genes in the human genome. Now holding over 35,000 alleles, the resource has developed a suite of new tools so that the surge of data from next generation sequencing can still be accessed and presented clearly.
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Using Mendelian Randomization
Genetic variation can be used to test whether a modifiable exposure really causes a health outcome, an approach known as Mendelian randomisation. This work develops STROBE-MR, a reporting guideline drafted by a group of 17 experts as a stand-alone extension of the established STROBE statement, so that such studies can be described transparently enough for others to appraise.
Guidelines for performing Mendelian randomization investigations: update for summer 2023
Rigorous methods need clear standards, and this work provides them for Mendelian randomisation investigations. Its guidelines span ten areas, from motivation and data sources through choice of genetic variants to analysis, presentation and interpretation, supporting both practitioners writing up their findings and the journal editors and reviewers who assess them, with regular updates promised as the field advances.
SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank
Does a milder coronavirus infection leave a mark on the brain? Because 785 UK Biobank participants had been scanned before as well as after, the team could compare 401 people who tested positive with 384 controls and detect longitudinal change, including greater reduction in grey matter thickness and tissue contrast in the orbitofrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus.
Genetic testing to guide the choice and dosing of antidepressants is a compelling idea whose clinical efficacy has been questioned. The team systematically reviewed and meta-analysed thirteen prospective, controlled clinical trials comprising 4,767 patients with major depressive disorder, examining whether pharmacogenomic-guided therapy is associated with remission of depressive symptoms.
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Finalists are identified from open data; winners are decided by our editorial team and announced on 15 September 2026.
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