Dr Dan Edwards, a postdoctoral researcher in the Horrocks Group, has been awarded the IRR Innovator 2026 prize, along with £5,000 in research funding. Dan's winning idea centres on the use of extracellular vesicles, tiny particles that can be isolated from all biological fluids, as a tool for the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, a breakthrough approach with significant clinical potential.The competition was organised in partnership with Dr Andrew McBryde of Edinburgh Innovations' ITPA Translational Community, and judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts: Hayley Gooding (Concept Life Sciences), Lissa Herron (Converge Challenge), and Douglas Gibson (previous IRR Innovator winner). The IRR Innovator competition provided a fantastic opportunity to present my research to a broad audience and think creatively about its future commercial impact. I'm grateful for the insight and comments from the panel and look forward to using the award to progress my research. Dr Dan Edwards Postdoctoral researcher It's a great achievement, and is testament not only to Dan's innovative ideas, but also to his ability to communicate science to a wide audience. Professor Matthew Horrocks Supervisor Tags Research Publication date 27 May, 2026
