Winner
Rob Dawson (posthumous)
Summary of work
Rob was a dedicated and enthusiastic Chair who had led Stempra for the last three years and an active member of the science press officer and science communication communities. He championed the professional communication of science and informally mentored many young communicators growing into their roles.
At the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) he successfully advocated for the inclusion of meningitis in the World Health Organization 5 year programme of work and the first ever World Health Assembly approved global roadmap to defeat meningitis by 2030.
His career grew from its foundations in agency, spanned voluntary (Royal Osteoporosis Society) and professional (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council – BBSRC) organisations, NGOs (MRF) and he gave up much of his time over the years as a voluntary communicator and writer. During the pandemic, he used his social media platform to give advice and support to all, as well as correct misinformation with science wherever he found it.
Rob exemplified the very best our industry has to offer – a man who had so much more to give but had already achieved significant successes across the board, multi-talented and extraordinarily generous in the way he gave his time to causes he believed in.
Testimonials
“As Chair of Stempra, Rob had a hugely positive impact on the committee and the wider membership. During the pandemic, he pioneered the first online Press Officer’s Training Day, ensuring early career professionals could learn from Stempra during that period of remote working. He also led the creation of guidelines for publicising pre-prints, a topic that became hugely important as research was being released almost in real-time. He helped to show press officers how to manage this fast-moving situation.
Rob brought so much enthusiasm to every meeting and he really was a joy to work with. It’s difficult to sum up the positive impact that Rob had on the committee and the membership, and he will be sorely missed.”
Fiona Dennehy & Shane Canning, Interim Co-Chairs, Stempra
“Rob was one of those amazing practitioners who despite being in an intense role, and clearly facing his own personal health challenges, still so generously gave time and enthusiasm to support and better our healthcare communications sector. Always reminding us to not just pay lip service, but truly consider with all our activity how it will ultimately improve patient health and wellbeing. His work as chair of Stempra and as part of the HCA’s Standards and Best Practice Committee, catalysed bringing our organisations together to partner where we have common purpose, extending their reach and impact. He had so much more to give our sector, but what he had already achieved will have a lasting impact and is unquestionably worthy of recognition.”
Mike Dixon, CEO, Healthcare Communications Association
“Rob Dawson was both a colleague and a friend. He was a highly effective, professional and enthusiastic advocate for science and the use of better evidence for improving health around the world. During his time Meningitis Research Foundation he achieved an incredible amount by including everyone – patients, families, staff and global health stakeholders – in the process to galvanise attention and then turning this into compelling communication materials and award-winning campaigns. I will miss him terribly, as will the whole MRF family.”
Vinny Smith, CEO, Meningitis Research Foundation & Confederation of Meningitis Organisations
