Global Panda award for MRC CRH’s Kirsten Wilson

Kirsten Wilson, a PhD student at MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, won a silver Giant Panda Global 2018 Award in the category ‘Promising Young Scientist of the Year’ for her work on non-invasive reproductive studies of giant pandas.

Kirsten Wilson undertook a Masters by research in the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health in 2014/2015 from which she graduated with Distinction. 

Dr Forbes Howie was her primary supervisor for her second project entitled ‘Using Hormone Measurements to Monitor the Edinburgh Female Panda’s Reproductive Cycle: Can We Predict Implantation?’

Kirsten has now progressed to part-time PhD student in Professor Colin Duncan’s Lab and Research Scientist in the Specialised Assay Laboratory, MRC Centre for Reproductive Sciences. 

In February 2019 she won a silver Giant Panda Global 2018 Award in the category ‘Promising Young Scientist of the Year’ for her work on non-invasive reproductive studies of giant pandas.

Kirsten’s research focuses on Giant Panda pregnancy and works closely with Edinburgh Zoo and other international collaborative partners to further the understanding of Giant Panda reproductive physiology - with the aim of trying to develop a much needed Panda pregnancy test. This will not only help to unravel their biology but will also be hugely beneficial to those working with the captive panda population globally.

The goal of Giant Panda Global is to increase awareness and understanding of conservation of the species and with the inclusion of a science category for the second year, it is hoped that some of the great ongoing research can be highlighted to the public to further enhance this amazing resource of panda conservation education.

Thank you to everyone who voted and well done Kirsten!

Pictures are attached (both taken by the Giant Panda Global team):

Left photo: Kirsten Wilson with Darren McGarry, from RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, winner of gold in the 'Favourite Light Festival' category of the awards.

Right photo: Kirsten Wilson receiving the award from Jeroen Jacobs, the founder of Giant Panda Global.