We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Allison Hunter, one of our esteemed IST Fellows and a regular conference speaker, who has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Lab Sustainability from My Green Lab.
This prestigious international award recognises Allison’s exceptional leadership and her long-standing dedication to embedding sustainable practice across the higher education and research sectors.
Allison, who serves as Head of Technical Operations in the Department of Life Sciences, has been a driving force for change both within her institution and far beyond it. Her award was announced this week at the My Green Lab Summit 2025, the organisation’s flagship global gathering themed ‘Rising to the Challenge’, which brought together experts and advocates to share actionable strategies for advancing sustainability in the laboratory environment.
Reflecting on the award, Allison said:
“I was absolutely not expecting this award. It’s a very delightful surprise to receive it and very humbling to have recognition from my peer group for my sustainability work.”
James Connelly, CEO of My Green Lab, praised the impact of her work:
“This award is a testament to Allison’s unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions to advancing sustainability in laboratory environments. Her visionary leadership and tireless dedication have set a new standard for what can be achieved in this field and inspired a global movement.”
A Leader Shaping the Future of Sustainable Laboratories
Allison’s influence on the laboratory sustainability landscape has been profound. Since joining Imperial College London in 2015, she has championed innovative, measurable interventions that have helped transform lab practices across the institution. She has delivered talks, seminars, workshops, and webinars at local, national, and international levels—encouraging countless labs and organisations to embed sustainability into their daily operations.
Her work has been recognised repeatedly, with honours including:
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Institute of Science & Technology (IST) Fellowship (2021)
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President’s Award for Research Support Excellence (2018)
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Provost’s Award for Excellence in Health and Safety (2020)
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President’s Award for Excellence in Sustainability (2025)
In 2024, Allison undertook a secondment with Imperial’s Sustainability Hub, leading efforts to strengthen lab sustainability standards and guiding teams towards accreditation through schemes such as My Green Lab and LEAF.
Professor Daniel M. Davis, Head of Life Sciences, commented:
“Her tireless hard work and passion has made an enormous difference, both practically and to our mindset. I can’t tell you how happy I am that her work is being recognised by this award.”
A Career Defined by Purpose and Progress
Allison’s sustainability journey began in 2008 at King’s College London, where she launched the university’s first lab sustainability project. Since then, her contributions have grown into a wide-ranging portfolio of activity, including developing national workshops with My Green Lab, contributing to government-led studies on cooling equipment, and lobbying the EU on refrigeration standards.
Alongside this, Allison is a passionate advocate for technical staff development and professional recognition. She leads Imperial’s Technicians’ Network and has been a strong supporter of the Science Council Technician Commitment and professional registration, championing these initiatives at both King’s and Imperial since 2012.
Her philosophy is simple but powerful:
“I am committed to embedding sustainable thinking into every layer of our technical infrastructure. By aligning operational excellence with environmental responsibility in the research space we use— and by considering what we buy, how we use it and remove it—sustainability and science can thrive together.”
A Moment of Pride for the IST Community
Allison’s recognition is not only a personal achievement — it reflects the commitment and excellence of technical professionals across our sector. As an IST Fellow and valued contributor to the Institute, she exemplifies the leadership, innovation, and passion that drive our community forward.
We are incredibly proud to celebrate Allison’s achievement and look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work as she helps shape a more sustainable future for laboratories worldwide.
Congratulations, Allison—from everyone at the IST!
