A trailblazing University of Oxford chemistry professor is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award during an upcoming ceremony for inventors. 

The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that British scientist Dame Carol Robinson will receive the lifetime achievement award during the European Inventor Award ceremony on July 9 in Malta. 

The local legend will be honoured for her ground-breaking work in mass spectrometry, advancing drug discovery and personalised medicine with her innovative techniques having significantly improved the study of proteins, offering insights into their complex structures and interactions. 

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The EPO said Professor Dame Carol would receive this particular honour for her extensive contributions to blood analysis and drug development and a career that has broken new ground in biochemical research. 

Reflecting her pioneering spirit, she said:  "As a scientist, I've always been quite fearless about going in my own direction.

"That has been my mantra throughout my career. I never wanted to follow the crowd."

Professor Dame Carol's career also stands as a pillar for gender diversity in STEM, breaking barriers as the first full female Professor of Chemistry at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Her commitment to mentorship has inspired numerous postgraduate students and early-career scientists, while her work has welcomed a new era for biochemistry. 

Professor Dame Carol's introduction of mass spectrometry to structural biology has improved the understanding of protein interactions. 

Her early work faced scepticism, but with determination and an innovative approach she proved that protein interactions could indeed be preserved and studied in the gaseous state. 

Her 'native mass spectrometry' method has also transformed the study of proteins allowing scientists to gain detailed insights into their functions and interactions without altering their structures.

This has enabled precise measurements and analyses of protein complexes that play critical roles in various diseases - paving the way for the development of targeted medications.

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She said: “The future vision for this field is to contribute to much more tailored, personalised solutions."

Beyond her academic and research milestones, Professor Dame Carol's entrepreneurial aspirations also led her to co-found OMass Therapeutics which develops novel drugs targeting membrane proteins and protein complexes implicated in disease, such as the MC2 receptor in congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a rare endocrine disorder. 

Her work not only advances scientific understanding but also provides the foundation for new therapeutic strategies that could improve the lives of patients worldwide. 

She is also the director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at the University of Oxford.

In recognition of her lifelong dedication and her role as a mentor, Professor Dame Carol has received numerous accolades, including being made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences USA.