Congratulations to Iva Tchasovnikarova, who is one of the eight Lister Prize Fellows for 2026. Iva will receive a lump sum of £300,000 in flexible funding over five years. The Lister Prize from the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine is one of the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious awards for biomedical researchers in the early years of establishing their own laboratories and research groups. The Prize can be spent flexibly on staffing, equipment or other research costs – giving Fellows the freedom to take their science in bold new directions. It has played a vital role in nurturing prominent research leaders, brought stability to fledgling research groups, and helped mentor cross-disciplinary visionaries.
Professor Anne Rosser, who chairs the committee, said: “The standard of applications this year was exceptionally high, reflecting the strength and breadth of early-career biomedical research across the UK and Ireland. The eight scientists selected as 2026 Lister Prize Fellows stood out for the originality of their questions, the quality of their science, and the potential of their work to open up new areas of understanding. They represent an exciting cohort of future leaders in biomedical research.”
Dr Tchasovnikarova said: “It is an honour to be one of the lucky recipients of the Lister Prize this year. The award will allow us to dive into an exciting new area of research and uncover new regulators of a fundamental, yet poorly understood, cellular process. I am thrilled to join a community of such impressive scientists and look forward to exchanging ideas at the annual meetings.”
The Tchasovnikarova Group studies fundamental epigenetic pathways and the mechanisms through which these processes are corrupted by disease-associated mutations in chromatin regulators. Iva and her team aim to understand the molecular mechanisms utilised by chromatin regulators to exert their function in healthy human cells, and to examine how these mechanisms are altered in human disorders on a molecular level. By exploiting and developing high-throughput genetic techniques, they seek to identify novel epigenetic regulators that can be exploited therapeutically.
Professor Sir John Iredale, Chair of the Lister Institute, said: “The Lister Prize exists to back exceptional early-career researchers at the moment when bold ideas can have the greatest impact. This year’s Fellows exemplify the ambition, originality and scientific excellence needed to tackle some of the most important biomedical challenges of our time. We are proud to support them as they shape the future of research in the UK and Ireland.”
Julie Goodley, Director of the Lister Institute, said: “What makes the Lister Prize so distinctive is the flexibility it gives researchers to follow the most promising directions in their science. Our 2026 Fellows are asking important and ambitious questions, and this funding gives them the freedom and confidence to explore them fully. We are delighted to welcome them into the Lister community.”
Read more about the Lister Prize and this year’s fellows on the Lister Institute website.