Alfred Russel Wallace Medal for Biosciences and Medicine
About the Alfred Russel Wallace Medal
This medal celebrates significant contributions to the discipline of Biosciences and Medicine by established individuals working in research or innovation.
Winners of this medal will demonstrate significant contributions in one or more of the following ways:
- Significant contribution to their discipline/area of work
- Reach and impact of their work beyond the scope of their area/discipline
- Notable outputs of their work
- Any other notable achievements, e.g. innovation, major projects, knowledge transfer, dissemination of their work etc.
Open to individuals only.
Winners will be mid to later career individuals, defined as someone who has normally, at the time of the nomination, more than ten years of experience in research or relevant professional work (ten years or ten years full time equivalent).
Alfred Russel Wallace's life and achievements are a great example of how one person can change the world for the better. From humble beginnings, his determination, hard work and bravery to champion new ideas should be an inspiration to us all.
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace and why is he associated with our ‘Medal for Biosciences and Medicine?
Alfred Russel Wallace was many things – including an explorer, collector and naturalist. Most famously he raised the idea of evolution by natural selection entirely independently and around the same time as Charles Darwin. Born in Monmouthshire, he travelled the world – including Malaysia, Indonesia and the Amazon which led to him becoming the leading expert on the geographical distribution of species.
Read more about Alfred Russell Wallace at the Dictionary of Welsh Biography.
As one of the leading contributors to the theory of evolution, Wallace's contribution to scientific thinking is well known. For me, what also deserves recognition is his insatiable curiosity and courage to explore, not only just the Amazon and Malay archipelago, but also scientific theories and ideas contrary to established or accepted thinking. He was undaunted by obstacles and adversity, (limited funds, shipwreck, malaria); unbound by convention and unafraid to use his imagination to explore a wide range of ideas.
Scrutiny Committee membership
Members of the scrutiny committee will be announced shortly.