News
Outstanding Contribution award for Professor Sir Philip Cohen
Sir Philip was recognised at the awards ceremony for his incredible impact to innovation, fundraising, and his championing of business within the life sciences
Published on 25 October 2025
Professor Sir Philip Cohen was honoured for a 54-year career full of achievement and impact when he was presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award by Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney at The Courier Business Awards.
The First Minister said Sir Philip has been an innovator, fundraiser, and business champion in addition to being one of the world’s great scientists.
On being given the award at a packed ceremony at Dundee’s Apex Hotel, Sir Philip said, “I have received many awards in my career but never one specifically for business. This is very special and I thank everyone who has helped me throughout the past 50 years.”
Sir Philip joined the University in 1971, when the then Department of Biochemistry was housed in a converted stables. By 2006 he had helped transform it into a Faculty of Life Sciences with almost 900 scientific and support staff.
Dundee is now ranked the top University in the UK for research in the Biological Sciences, according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and has been for the past 14 years.
Life Sciences in Dundee is estimated to be responsible, directly and indirectly, for the employment of over 2,000 people in Dundee.
Much of that growth and impact has been driven over the past 50 years by Sir Philip, who is now 80 and continues to run a successful research team at the University.
The Courier Business Awards are the major industry celebration for the our region and honour businesses from large to small.