The scholarship will be awarded annually to commemorate the contributions Matt made to the BMSR community.
Matthew ("Matt") Wilson studied at King's College London and obtained an MSc in Biomedical & Molecular Sciences Research (BMSR) in October 2011. He graduated with Distinction, ranked 2nd of 33 students, notably whilst undergoing treatment for cancer throughout his studies. Not only were his grades impressive, but Matt was also able to publish his work on phosphorylation signalling in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a paper which has been cited over 140 times by the research community.
After graduating from King's Matt pursued a PhD in Virology in Germany, but sadly was never able to complete his research - Matt passed away in 2013. Professor Sturzenbaum, the Programme Director, reflects:
Matt will be remembered for his equanimity under the worst circumstances, his friendliness, and his true dedication to the course and meaning of scientific work."– Professor Steven Sturzenbaum
King's subsequently received a donation by Matt's mother to establish a Matt Wilson scholarship, which supported the research conducted by one BMSR student per year. Following a second, very generous legacy gift, we are now happy to announce that the scholarship scheme has been extended further.
From 2021 onwards, up to seven BMSR students will receive a Matt Wilson scholarship, awarded annually. The recipients will be selected based on the most added value in terms of personal development and projected research output. The scholarship is a testament to the person and researcher Matt was, and the generosity of Matt's family will foster scientific discovery by supporting many early researchers to excel in the same way that Matt did.
For more details about Matt as well as past and present recipients of the scholarship, visit the Matt Wilson Scholarship page.
