IDF announces winners of the 2025 IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Award for Early-Career Scientists

The International Dairy Federation (IDF) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Award for Early Career Scientists. This prestigious award honors outstanding scientists in the early stages of their careers. Eligible candidates include undergraduate and graduate students who have completed their highest degree within the last three years.

The award, named after Professor Pavel (Paul) Jelen, a Czech-born Canadian scientist and educator known for his dedication to research and mentoring in the dairy sector, celebrates innovation, scientific excellence, and the importance of open communication in the dairy sector.

This year’s edition attracted a large number of candidates. The nominations were evaluated by a jury composed of experts from the IDF standing committees.

The IDF is proud to announce the winners for 2025:

First prize: Zheng Zhao (University of Alberta, Canada), for “Optimization of fermentation cultures for sustainable dairy production”; a plaque in recognition of the achievement; free registration to the IDF World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS); €300 honorarium. Travel expenses of up to €700 to attend the IDF WDS.


Second prize: Mengxiao Yang (Riddet Institute, Massey University and Fonterra Research and Development Centre, New Zealand) for “Milk protein-enzyme interactions: Mechanistic perspectives on gastric digestion and implications for dairy processing”; printed certificate recognizing the achievement and €200 honorarium.


Third prize: Markos Managos (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
“Greenhouse gas emissions and contribution to the food system of dairy cows fed diets based on best practices”; printed certificate recognizing the achievement and €100 honorarium.

All winners will be invited to present their work, both in poster form and as a short oral presentation, at the FIL’s 2025 World Dairy Industry Summit, to be held in Santiago, Chile, from October 20 to 23. In addition, they will have the opportunity to publish their research and accompany it with video presentations on the FIL website and blog.

“The next generation of scientists is critical to driving research ideas and fostering innovation in the dairy industry. This award is designed to motivate early-career scientists to present their research findings and pursue a career in dairy science,” said Dr. David Everett, Chair of the IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Award for Early Career Scientists and member of the IDF Standing Committee on Dairy Science and Processing Technology. The IDF sincerely congratulates the winners and thanks all candidates for their exceptional contributions.

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