London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

An international health scientist has been awarded the Royal Society Kohn Award for her innovative work supporting disadvantaged young people in London to work as international scientific researchers, on some of the world's biggest health problems, it was announced today.

The prize is awarded yearly to scientists and science communicators for excellence in engaging the public with science. This year it has been presented to Dr Carolyn Stephens from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) for a programme of work experience and summer schools. She started these in 2000 in response to requests from young people at a Barking and Dagenham youth club who heard her talk about her work. Today over 300 disadvantaged teenagers from across London have had the opportunity to develop and undertake their own scientific research at the LSHTM.

The young people have undertaken projects looking at questions such as, "Why can't people in less economically developed countries get as easy access to vaccines as people in more economically developed countries?", "Will global warming affect malaria worldwide?" and "If we're all so rich, why are we all so unhappy?". Some of them have travelled with Carolyn to international conferences and visited her research sites in developing countries.

Dr Carolyn Stephens said: "I'm very proud of these young people. They brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to their work. Five out of the ten original participants have gone on to study medicine and health related courses and others are now following. They have all had their horizons broadened because of their work with us, experiencing what it's like to be an international health scientist even down to quizzing UN scientists.

"Disadvantaged young people in UK towns and cities are routinely stereotyped as 'hoodies', 'yobs' and 'chav-ettes' - this ignores their role in society and only alienates them further. The young people we work with do wear hoods, but what we have shown is that, with a bit of support, they are hugely motivated to put their ignored skills and passion into working alongside us on some of the most critical health problems internationally. "

Professor Martin Taylor, Vice President of the Royal Society, said: "All of us on the selection panel were hugely impressed by the impact that Carolyn has had on the lives of these young people. And much of this work is done voluntarily and on top of her extensive international health research. We hope that this award will enable her to further inspire other scientists and other institutions to increase their own public engagement activities."

Professor Andy Haines, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Culturally Carolyn's work has changed the LSHTM. We have gone from a post-graduate institution that had no teenagers coming through our doors to a situation where they regularly present seminars, work with us and challenge our ideas. She's persuaded many, including me, to consider community and public engagement as a fundamental part of our scientific institution's role."

As the winner of the 2007 Royal Society Kohn Award for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science, Carolyn receives a grant of £7,500 for science communication activities. She intends to use this to make short films about young peoples' health problems in India and Argentina with some of the young people that she works within these countries. These films will be used in the UK work experience programme. She also receives a prize of £2,500,

Carolyn is a Senior Lecturer in International Environmental Health at LSHTM, and a Visiting Full Professor in the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, in Argentina. She works with indigenous peoples and in low income urban settlements on the links between environment, poverty and health in developing countries, and supports the same science engagement work with young people in Argentina, Brazil, India and Nigeria.

Carolyn's work has received support from UK Government departments, the World Health Organisation, the European Commission, the European Social Fund, and the Wellcome Trust.

The Royal Society Kohn Award for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science has been created with the generous support of the Kohn Foundation.