Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award

2026 Winner: Cathie Martin

Cathie Martin, a Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of East Anglia and project leader at the John Innes Centre, is the 2026 recipient of the Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award. Cathie has a long history of advocating for plant genetic engineering and public acceptance of genetically engineered foods. Her research, which is focused on creating crops with consumer-oriented traits, has included biofortification of fruits and vegetables for human health, metabolic engineering to increase phytonutrients, and improving shelf life. High-anthocyanin purple tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties were created by the Martin lab and have received regulatory approval for planting and human consumption in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Previous awards that Cathie has received for her research, leadership in science policy, and public support for plant genetic engineering include: Fellow of ASPB, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society, and Rank Prize for Nutrition.