Professor Elaine Cloutman-Green, Consultant Clinical Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, has been named as the newest winner of the Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award.

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The prize is part of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2025, which celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.

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The Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award was established to acknowledge the pivotal role of individuals who bridge the gap between microbiological research and policy. This award recognises those who have excelled not just in their scientific research but have also played a crucial role in translating their findings into practical and impactful solutions to real world problems. 

Science and innovation

Professor Elaine Cloutman-Green is a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Infection Prevention and Control and Lead Healthcare Scientist at a world-renowned paediatric hospital. 

She also holds an Honorary Professorship at UCL and was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2021 New Year Honours for her outstanding services to healthcare. Since beginning her Clinical Scientist training in Microbiology in 2004, Elaine has dedicated her career to protecting patients through science and innovation. Her groundbreaking PhD research explored the role of the environment in healthcare-associated infections, leading to the development of rapid diagnostic and infection-control tools now used to prevent transmission across hospitals. 

A Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Higher Education Academy, Elaine also serves as a NICE Expert Advisor, Chair of the Environmental Network, member of the Science Quality Assurance Group for the Health and Safety Executive, and as a AMR policy group member for AMI. 

De-mystifying science

A passionate advocate for scientific excellence and collaboration, Professor Cloutman-Green writes the popular Girlymicrobiologist blog, which aims to de-mystify and make science accessible to everyone. 

Her outreach champions safer healthcare, raising awareness of the impacts of microbiology on everyday life, as well as inspiring the next generation of women in science.

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