About the Award
The Early Career Achievement Award recognizes an outstanding investigator IS-MPMI member who is known internationally as an emerging research leader in the area of molecular plant-microbe interactions.
2025 Awardee
Professor Sebastian Eves-van den Akker
The Crop Science Centre, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Early Career Achievement Award Presentation at 2025 IS-MPMI Congress
Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 20:05 - 20:25
The signal, the conductor, and the orchestra: Current understanding of plant-parasitic nematode infection biology
Sebastian Eves-van den Akker received his B. Sc. in Biology (2007-2010) from the University of Leeds, and his Ph. D. in Plant-Pathology (2010-2014) from the University of Leeds (with Prof. Peter Urwin) and the James Hutton Institute (with Prof John Jones). In late 2014, Sebastian was awarded an Anniversary Future Leaders Fellowship from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and moved to the University of Dundee (with Prof. Paul Birch) and the John Innes Centre (with Prof. Mark Banfield). In 2018, he moved to the University of Cambridge to establish the Plant-Parasite Interactions group in the Department of Plant Sciences, and was made a Fellow of King’s College Cambridge. In 2024 he was made Professor of Biotic Interactions.
From undergraduate to Professor, Sebastian has worked on one problem: plant-parasitic nematodes. Today, the lab tends to look at questions from a genetic perspective, investigating the genes that control the dialogue between the two kingdoms. The sustaining interest has been that the outcome of this communication dictates plant organ development, animal sex determination, and ultimately human food insecurity.
Honor Bestowed
$1,000 honorarium and inscribed crystal award
Complimentary meeting registration to the IS-MPMI Congress
Featured award presentation
Eligibility
Active IS-MPMI membership is required both at time of nomination and receipt of award. Students and Postdoctoral Scholars are not eligible.
Nominees who have been in an independent, full-time research position for no more than seven years as of the date of the 2025 IS-MPMI Congress. Typical nominees will be within 12 years of receiving their PhD. Note that time taken off for child-rearing does not count in this limit and other special circumstances may be evaluated at the discretion of the review committee.
Application Requirements
Save all required materials into one PDF file prior to submitting the online nomination. Nominations for the 2027 award will open fall 2026.
Nomination letter (not to exceed 2 pages) describing the individual's contributions to research, including a clear statement describing the impact that they have in the field of IS-MPMI. The research forming the basis of the nomination must have occurred during the independent research phase of the nominee's career, typically within the last 6 years. The letter may be written by a single individual or group of individuals.
Current curriculum vitae
List of Publications to include the most significant publications of the nominee while in their independent research position.
Letter of support (2 page maximum) that provide additional insight of the nominee's research contributions outlined in the nomination letter are welcome though not required.
Previous Awardees
