Lancaster alumnus Dr Christopher Wilkinson has received an award from the University of Cambridge in recognition of his involvement in setting up a Covid-19 testing centre on the Cambridge campus.

Dr Wilkinson currently works at the University of Cambridge, where he gained his doctorate after completing a postgraduate MRes at Lancaster University in 2002 in the Design and Evaluation of Advanced Interactive Systems.

Through his job as an Equipment Sharing Platform Manager, Dr Wilkinson was involved in setting up the local Covid-19 Test Centre at the University of Cambridge and collaborating with both GSK and AstraZeneca.

Lord Sainsbury, the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, personally wrote to Dr Wilkinson praising his “exceptional efforts”.

“I have been moved to write to you, personally, on account of your extraordinary contribution to the University’s response to the Covid19 crisis. You have been highly commended for your exceptional efforts during this time. It gives me great pleasure to recognise your work throughout this difficult period, and to thank you for your commitment to the University.”

Dr Wilkinson also receive an award in recognition of his involvement in helping both the national testing facility and the one at the University of Cambridge.

He said: “When the UK was gripped by the first wave of the COVID-19 tsunami, as someone who oversees the database as the Equipment Sharing Project Manager, I was tasked with speaking directly to laboratory and equipment managers to see how we could support the Government’s rapidly developing the Covid-19 Test Facility in Milton Keynes to help ensure they had sufficient quantities of reagents and equipment to meet their 100,000 daily testing target by the end of April.”

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