Imperial researcher awarded prestigious Helmholtz Doctoral Prize

Laura Helleckes, Department of Chemical Engineering researcher, recognised in the category of Earth and Environment.

This is a renowned recognition from the Helmholtz Association, one of Germany’s largest scientific organisations. 

Laura received the award at a ceremony in Berlin, honouring her outstanding doctoral research which bridges laboratory automation and machine learning. Her work focuses on developing intelligent algorithms for experimental planning – advancing how scientists design and carry out experiments in the environmental sciences and beyond. 

The Helmholtz Doctoral Prize is presented annually across six research areas, recognising exceptional achievements by early-career researchers whose work contributes to solving grand societal challenges. 

I feel very grateful to be awarded, as it is a wonderful recognition after several exciting years of PhD research. Laura Helleckes Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering

On receiving the award, Laura said: "I feel very grateful to be awarded, as it is a wonderful recognition after several exciting years of PhD research. This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my supervisors – Professor Marco Oldiges, Professor Eric von Lieres, and Professor Wolfgang Wiechert – as well as my collaborators and colleagues. I am deeply thankful for their guidance, encouragement, and belief in this work." 

Her interdisciplinary approach has already garnered attention across scientific and industrial communities, positioning her as a rising leader at the intersection of AI, automation and sustainability. 

Laura joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London to deepen her expertise in machine learning, an area with strong research activity and outstanding academics at Imperial.

With a growing interest in Process Systems Engineering, she saw the department as an ideal place to explore this interdisciplinary field at the intersection of data science and engineering. “While many applications in chemical engineering are new to me, I enjoy that many methods are shared between this field and biotechnology. I feel very warmly welcomed in the department and am excited to work with so many inspiring scientists,” she added.