Dr Kalpana Surendranath, Reader in Genome Engineering at the University of Westminster, has won the PRECIOUS Awards 2025 in the Outstanding Woman in STEM category for her trailblazing work in inclusive science education and genome engineering.
Now in their 19th year, the PRECIOUS Awards were founded by Foluke Akinlose MBE to recognise exceptional women of colour who are making a difference through innovation, leadership and community impact in the UK.
Dr Surendranath is the Founder and Director of the Gene Editors of the Future programme, the UK’s largest extracurricular CRISPR training initiative. The project gives students from the School of Life Sciences the chance to work with the Nobel Prize-winning technology CRISPR, which can be used to selectively modify the DNA of living organisms and has forever changed the landscape of genetic engineering across organisms.
Through her work, Dr Surendranath has transformed access to advanced biotechnology training for over 1500 students from more than 30 countries. Her teaching-led genome engineering research facility at Westminster is the first of its kind in a post-1992 university, combining science, education, student engagement and societal impact. Through Gene Editors of the Future, she has created a global model for inclusive, research-integrated education that empowers young scientists to innovate and lead.
Dr Surendranath had been the Co-chair of the Women of Westminster Network for Research and Knowledge Exchange, where she worked closely with senior leadership to address gender-related challenges, focusing on career progression and representation in leadership roles.
She was also awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE, the highest recognition for individual excellence in UK Higher Education in August this year. The fellowship celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to student outcomes and the teaching profession in UK Higher Education.
About this award, Dr Surendranath said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the PRECIOUS Outstanding Woman in STEM award. There is no single right path to becoming outstanding in one's chosen profession, and this moment represents far more than a recognition. For 19 years, the PRECIOUS Awards have celebrated the excellence of women of colour, honouring their struggles, their resilience and their transformative journeys. I should say that this award belongs not only to me, but also to the powerful men who have played meaningful role in my journey.
“I was also fortunate to witness a moving testimony from a former Law School student and a PRECIOUS Award winner, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to our colleague and recent National Teaching Fellowship recipient, Stephen Bunbury for his inspiring teaching and leadership. The event offered an exceptionally warm and welcoming atmosphere, one in which every success was both honoured and shared.”
Dr Deborah Husbands, Chartered Psychologist and Reader in Race and Sociocultural Psychology, was also nominated in the Leadership category for advancing race equity, inclusive leadership and wellbeing in higher education. As Co-chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic Network and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she creates safe spaces, informs policy through lived experience and secures sponsorship to challenge systemic barriers. She founded Black History Year and the award-winning BHY Researcher Network and leads BHY Create, a six-month decolonial programme for students that builds confidence, visibility and agency while directly addressing tokenism, microaggressions and systemic racism.
Dr Kalpana Surendranath’s work directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 5: Gender Equality and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Westminster.
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