The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (I0M3) has recognised two Queen Mary academics from the School of Engineering and Materials Science in their 2026 awards.

Prof Karin Hing has been awarded the Chapman Medal for distinguished research in the field of biomedical materials.

The award is named after Prof Dennis Chapman FRS, a scientist, whose research on phosphorylcholine led to his founding of Biocompatibles International plc. The award recognises research which has seen significant benefits for patients or created opportunities in the industry.

Prof Hing's work focusses on the development of pioneering biomaterials and healthcare therapies for tissue regeneration. Her work on tissue regeneration in bone cancers was commemorated by Royal Mail on a stamp in 2019. She was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering's Silver Medal in 2011 and has since been awarded the Kroll Medal by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Biocompatibles Prize by the UK Society for Biomaterials, both in 2013.

Prof Keizo Akutagawa has been awarded the Hancock Medal for outstanding service to the rubber industry.

The Hancock Medal commemorates Thomas Roger Hancock, a UK scientist in the field of mastication, mixing and sulphur vulcanization who patented sulphur vulcanisation in 1843, before Charles Goodyear.

Prof Akutagawa first joined Queen Mary in 1992 as a PhD student funded by Bridgestone, Japan. He studied alongside now Deputy Head of School Professor James Busfield in the Soft Matter Group, and his resulting research led to many innovations that were exploited by Bridgestone after Keizo had graduated and returned to Japan in 1995. He became a visiting professor in 2020 and was made an honorary fellow of Queen Mary in July 2025.

Both Professors will be presented with the awards at the formal ceremony in December.