It was a momentous occasion for Dr Peter Nelson, a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies.

He had just been awarded the coveted SRC Young Scientist/Technologist Award for 2022, presented at the Scientific Research Council’s National Inventions Awards and Science Medal Luncheon in November 2022, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The event was held on the heels of the 7th Biennial Science and Technology Conference, which was themed ‘Harnessing the Power of Research and Innovation to Drive Economic Resilience’.

RESEARCH RECOGNISED AS BEING OF GREAT POTENTIAL VALUE TO JAMAICA’S DEVELOPMENT

Nelson’s presentation at the conference outlined his innovative research in developing sensors for detecting metal ions in the human body, specifically in the liver and brain, and was recognised as being of great potential value to Jamaica’s development.

Other UWI nominees for the SRC Young Scientist/Technologist Award were Dr Ricardo Anderson, a computer scientist, Dr Roxann Stennett-Brown, a climate scientist, and Dr Kimberley Foster, a natural products scientist.

The Dean of the FST, Professor Michael Taylor, and Emeritus Professor A. Anthony Chen were also honoured for being nominated for the National Medal Award for Science.

Upon receiving the award, Nelson said that he felt motivated to do more scientific work that is related to the “regular man” with industrial applications. He was thrilled that the value of science was being recognised on a national level and that it was a needed step in the right direction.

Dr Charah Watson, executive director of the SRC, added that the SRC Young Scientist/Technologist award is an important initiative and that over the years since its inception in 1990, awardees have gone on to make impactful contributions to Jamaica and global development.

Watson congratulated Nelson and added that the expectation of him and his work was high as he was on the cusp of making a major impact to healthcare and the productive sector with his innovation.