It is with great pleasure that we announce Dr. Bonnie Murphy of the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt am Main as the recipient of the Clara Immerwahr Award 2025. This award acknowledges her outstanding contributions to catalysis research.
Dr. Murphy’s research focuses on uncovering the structure and mechanisms of proteins crucial to bioenergetic processes. She employs single-particle cryo-EM, along with biochemical, molecular, and electrochemical techniques, to explore these complex systems in depth.
Originally from Edmonton, Canada, Dr. Murphy’s academic journey began with a B.Sc. Joint Honours in Biology and Chemistry at St. Francis Xavier University. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford under the mentorship of Prof. Fraser Armstrong. After completing her doctoral studies, she continued as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Oxford before joining the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in 2016, where she now leads a Max Planck Research Group.
About the Clara Immerwahr Award
Launched in 2011, the Clara Immerwahr Award celebrates exceptional young female scientists in the field of catalysis. It honors Dr. Clara Immerwahr (1870–1915), the first woman in Germany to earn a doctorate in Physical Chemistry. The award includes a €15,000 grant for a research stay at UniSysCat, fostering collaboration with its research groups.
Save the Date: Award Ceremony
The Clara Immerwahr Award Ceremony 2025 will take place on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 2 PM at the TU Berlin. We invite all to join us in celebrating Dr. Murphy’s remarkable achievements.
Through this award, UniSysCat continues its mission to recognize inspiring role models who encourage young women and girls to pursue careers in science. We look forward to a fruitful and collaborative partnership with Dr. Murphy!