National award for Portsmouth science graduate

Sam Nightingale, from the University of Portsmouth, was awarded a first class degree in human physiology last summer and last week won Top Graduate Award from the Royal Society of Biology.

He was nominated for the award by course leader Dr Louise Turner, after coming top in his year.

Sam, 26, said: ‘I knew I’d achieved well when I received my marks, but finding out about my nomination came as a pleasant surprise.

‘I was very flattered when I heard that I had won and can only speculate as to what the judges saw in me.

‘It was lovely to feel an extra reward and a bit of pride for the blood, sweat and tears of 2016.’

Sam’s dissertation was used as evidence by Healthwatch Portsmouth to inform improvements in how people access bowel cancer screening in the city.