DPhil student Nechama wins prize

We are immensely proud of superstar DPhil student Nechama who was last night awarded the Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) prize for outstanding work outside of her degree. 

A few of us were lucky enough to get to attend the prize giving ceremony at the Natural History Museum.

Nechama was awarded this prize for her amazing charity and volunteer work, some of which is detailed in this excerpt from her nomination:

Returning to work after having children is far from the norm for Orthodox Jewish women. Nechama made a difficult choice to take on her DPhil whilst raising a toddler. Recognising the difficulties facing women in her community, Nechama has this year founded and run an initiative to help young Orthodox Jewish women explore career options not otherwise commonly accessible to them. She has curated a large network of mentors of varied professions, who are paired with young women, to provide advice to broaden their horizons. Nechama has extended this initiative to work on a national basis, generating contacts within, and providing mentorship connections to the majority of Jewish communities across the UK. Nechama also provides support to schools, organising careers events where young Jewish women, at a vital stage in their education, can receive guidance on career paths.

Nechama has also used her extensive knowledge of genetics in healthcare through voluntary work, both, at 'Jnetics', where she assists their mission to improve management, diagnosis and prevention strategies for people with Jewish-specific genetic disorders, and at 'Hertility', where she provides insight to the founders on issues surrounding women's health and prenatal genetic screening.

Nechama is a truly inspiring individual and is an example to us all on how we can turn our own personal challenges into efforts to help others through them. I am sure you will agree that she is fully deserving of this award.

Well done Nechama - you are truly amazing and an inspiration to all of us!