Professor Dame Carol Robinson receives Jennings Medal for exceptional mentorship
Professor Dame Carol Robinson receives Jennings Medal for exceptional mentorship
Professor Dame Carol Robinson, founding Director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at Oxford, has been awarded the Jennings Medal by the British Mass Spectrometry Society (BMSS), recognising exceptional mentorship.
Named in memory of pioneering mass spectrometrist Professor Keith Jennings, the Jennings Medal was established to recognise scientists who make an exceptional contribution to supporting and developing the people around them.
An emphasis on people and scientific culture has been a recurring thread through Robinson’s career. After beginning in mass spectrometry, she took an eight-year career break to raise her children before returning to research. She subsequently became the first woman Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and later the first woman Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. Her research went on to establish native mass spectrometry as a powerful approach for studying the structure, interactions and dynamics of proteins and protein complexes. As noted by colleague Professor Justin Benesch, throughout this impressive career, she has been 'as least as committed and successful a mentor as she has been a researcher'.
Well over 100 trainees have been through Carol’s lab, and 35 of us so far have gone on to establish our own research labs in academia, and many more in industry, too. – Professor Justin Benesch
That combination of scientific ambition and investment in others reflects the spirit of the award. Professor Jennings was himself a major figure in mass spectrometry, known for pioneering work on collision-induced decomposition of ions, but he was also remembered for the time and attention he gave to developing other scientists. The medal named in his honour recognises that commitment to helping others flourish.
Robinson's dedication to the development and support of others extends beyond her own research group to the way she has shaped Kavli Oxford. Founded in 2021, the Institute brings scientists together across disciplinary boundaries, spanning the physical, life and medical sciences. Today its researchers work across fields including chemistry, physics, biochemistry, structural biology, engineering, neuroscience and medicine. Earlier this year, as the Institute marked its fifth anniversary, a seminar room in the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building was named for Robinson. At the event, Professor Justin Benesch reflected not only on her contribution to native mass spectrometry but on her influence as a mentor and advocate for early-career researchers, highlighting a motto closely associated with her approach to science and leadership: ‘Be bold. Be curious. Be kind.’
The Jennings Medal acknowledges a fitting additional line to her legacy: ‘Help others do the same.’
The 2026 Jennings Medal was presented by the British Mass Spectrometry Society at the 46th BMSS Annual Meeting on 9 September 2026.
