Sense about Science

Congratulations to our Maddox Prize 2026 Winners! - Dr @siddharthaxroy, main award winner - Dr Mónica Guzmán-Rojo, early-career award winner - Dr Samer Abuzerr, special commendation Read their full stories 👇️ senseaboutscience.org/activi… The award is supported by @royalsociety

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Dr @siddharthaxroy Dr Siddhartha Roy faced attacks not only for disputing the officials who denied water contamination in Flint, Michigan, but also from his one-time allies when he called out a harmful false narrative of ‘brain-damaged’ children.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: @theliverdoc Dr Cyriac Abby Philips is a liver specialist at @Rajagiri_Hosptl in Kerala, India, who draws public attention to the harms he sees caused to patients by complementary and traditional medicines that often have government endorsement.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Dr Arna Mitchell Dr Arna Mitchell is a psychologist of Māori heritage who challenged a high-profile report that alleged systemic racism in psychology in New Zealand, despite knowing that doing so would expose her to attacks from her community.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Prof. Cédric Lemogne Prof. Cédric Lemogne, a leading researcher into persistent symptoms, has been subject to attacks for his conclusion that while persistent symptoms can be real and debilitating, they cannot always be reduced to a single cause.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Prof. @AlmaCristalHM Prof. Alma Cristal HM is a pioneer in developing infrastructure for governmental science advice in Mexico, where the field is deeply politicised. She has communicated its value publicly despite the risk of political backlash.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Dr Mónica Guzmán-Rojo Dr Mónica Guzmán-Rojo is a civil hydraulic engineer in Bolivia whose research into groundwater helped change land-use laws in favour of the rural and indigenous communities whose aquifers were affected by deforestation.

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Sallie Baxendale Professor Sallie Baxendale, a leading researcher in the field of the adolescent brain, insisted that decisions about the use of puberty blockers for teenagers were founded on insufficient evidence. @ucl | @uclh

Meet the Maddox Prize shortlist: Dr Samer Abuzerr Dr Samer Abuzerr’s public-health research in Gaza – conducted in dangerous circumstances, with virtually no access to resources – contributed to the 2025 ceasefire.

You can catch the first of BBC Inside Science's interviews with shortlisted candidates for the Maddox Prize here, or wherever you get your podcasts. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct97… @whippletom meets @theliverdoc, aka Dr Cyriac Abby Philips.

Meet our shortlist for the 2026 Maddox Prize for standing up for science, supported by the @royalsociety. The award recognises individuals who stand up for science and evidence, despite facing challenges or hostility. Read their stories 👇️ senseaboutscience.org/activi…

We're just days away from revealing the shortlist for the 2026 Maddox Prize for standing up for science. While we wait, we're sharing what receiving the award has meant to a select few of our previous winners. The Maddox Prize 2026 is supported by the @royalsociety