The 2013 Foulkes Foundation Medal, which recognises outstanding early career biomedical researchers has been awarded by the Academy of Medical Sciences to Dr Akhilesh Reddy, a neuroscientist at the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge.

The Foulkes Foundation Medal recognises a rising star in biomedical research for making a significant impact on UK bioscience within ten years of finishing their PhD. The winner will receive the Medal and a cash prize of £1500, and will deliver a lecture on their research at the Academy’s annual Spring Meeting for Clinician Scientists in Training.

Dr Reddy is a Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Research Fellow, whose research focuses on the role of circadian rhythms in the brain. It explores how disruption of this clockwork programming through old age, neurological disease, and even shift-work can impact on health and life expectancy. He is specifically working on the role of sleep dysfunction in patients with neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

On winning the award, Dr Reddy said, “I was delighted to receive such a prestigious award, it is a great honour to be selected as the fourth Foulkes Foundation medallist. It marks an exciting landmark in my career, and a wonderful tribute to all the support I have received from my colleagues and mentors.”

Mrs Maureen Foulkes-Hajdu, Chairman of the Foulkes Foundation, said: “Dr Reddy has already shown fantastic achievements in his career, and I am delighted that he will be receiving the Foulkes Foundation Medal this year. He will be following in the illustrious footsteps of our first three Medal winners, who continue to make outstanding contributions in all areas of medical science.”

Professor Sir John Tooke PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “The Foulkes Foundation Medal is a valuable opportunity to recognise the talent of rising stars in UK biomedical research. Dr Reddy is a fine example of a young researcher who has made ground breaking and wholly original contributions to his field, and I look forward to seeing his career develop.”

The medal will be awarded on 21 November 2013 at the Academy’s Annual General Meeting. Nominations for the next Foulkes Foundation Medal will open for applications in 2015.