Dr Pei Yee Tey, a researcher from the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, has been awarded the 2025 Raff Medal by the British Society of Cell Biology (BSCB). The Raff Medal recognises PhD students who have made outstanding contributions to UK / Ireland cell biology.
Pei Yee received the medal for her PhD research into membrane trafficking of an immune checkpoint receptor CTLA4, which was published in the Journal of Cell Biology earlier this year. CTLA4 is an important target in cancer immunotherapy and her work opens up new approaches for influencing its cell surface presentation. Her work was supervised by Professors Sylvie Urbe and Michael Clague, in whose laboratory she is now carrying out postdoctoral research to build on her discoveries.
The Raff Medal was named after Professor Martin Raff, former President of the BSCB, who was instrumental in setting up and running the first 4-year PhD graduate programme in Molecular Cell Biology at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (LMCB) at UCL. Pei Yee was presented with the Raff Medal during the Biologists@100 conference in Liverpool, where she also gave a plenary lecture on her research.
Pei Yee said: "It was a wonderful surprise to be awarded the 2025 Raff Medal. My scientific training began at the LMCB, UCL, where Professor Martin Raff is an Emeritus Professor. To receive an award named after such a pioneering figure in Cell Biology is a great honour and deeply meaningful to me.
"I joined Sylvie and Mike’s lab at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – a challenging time to start a PhD. I was incredibly fortunate to be part of a well-organised lab surrounded by highly motivated and talented scientists, where help and support are always at the core of our work. I cannot express enough gratitude to my supervisors and colleagues for their constant support throughout my PhD.
"I believe this medal is more than a recognition of my research. It is testimony to the extraordinary research environment I am privileged to be part of. I want to dedicate this award to my supervisors and lab mates, whose mentorship, friendship and encouragement have made all the difference."
Professor Michael Clague commented: "Pei Yee is a wonderful researcher, who has come to own her project in a way, which is not so common at this stage of her career. Her work is characterised by strategic planning, patience and precision. Beyond this, she is an exceptional but humble individual, so I am particularly pleased she has received this award."