Queen's University professor wins Gold Award for Innovation for research on male infertility

A Queen's University Professor has received international recognition for her research into male infertility.

Professor Sheena Lewis fought off competition from more than 70 innovators, researchers and business women from across Europe to win the Gold Award for Innovation at the European Women Inventors & Innovators Network (EUWIIN) awards last week in Stockholm.

The award also means that the next EUWINN event in 2015  is likely to be in Professor Lewis' home city of Belfast.

EUWIN was launched at the European Parliament in 2006.  Since then EUWIIN winners have been entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, technologists or designers from all sectors across Europe and beyond.  Each winner has created a new device or system or process capable of impacting millions of people for the better.

Professor Sheena Lewis, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen's, said: "I am delighted and honoured to have won the gold award for innovation at the European Women Inventors & Innovators Network awards.  It is great to have my work recognised at an international level by such a prestigious award.  It is testimony to the high level of research being undertaken at Queen's University and the opportunity to  translate this research into the benefit of society as we have been able to do through Queen's spin out Lewis Fertility Testing Ltd  with the help of our  business hub QUBIS."

Diane Morris, Chair of the EUWIIN Judging Panel, said: "The EUWIIN Judging panel, who represented different countries and professional expertise reviewed over 70 nominations, were impressed by Professor Lewis' research and her enthusiasm for it's potential."

The Sperm Comet test, developed in 2011 is a ground-breaking test for male infertility, which saves time, money and heartache for couples around the world.  The SpermComet provides unique information that no other test offers. By measuring damaged DNA in individual sperm, it can predict the success of infertility treatments and fast-track couples to the treatment most likely to succeed, leading to significantly reduced waiting times and improved chances of conception.