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Research accolades for Sussex biochemist
Posted on behalf of: School of Life Sciences
Last updated: Monday, 10 November 2025
Dr Chrisostomos Prodromou
Dr Chrisostomos Prodromou has been elected as a Senior Fellow and has received a prestigious award in recognition of his biochemistry research.
The Cell Stress Society International (CSSI) recently elected the Sussex researcher as a Senior Fellow, acknowledging his exceptional service to the society and his contributions to their journal Cell Stress and Chaperones.
In addition, Dr Prodromou was awarded the Medallion of the Cell Stress Society in recognition of his pioneering discoveries about the structure and function of the Hsp90 molecular chaperone.
He said “I feel truly honoured and humbled to have been elected as a Senior Fellow and to receive the CSSI Medallion for a lifetime’s achievement in my field of study. This recognition means a great deal to me, as it reflects years of collaborative effort, mentorship, and shared passion for scientific discovery. I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues and the CSSI community for their support and inspiration.”
Dr Prodromou played a central role in elucidating the structure and mechanism of the molecular chaperone Hsp90. A molecular chaperone is a protein that assists with the assembly or transportation of other proteins within a cell. They are essential to cell function and are often called heat shock proteins (Hsp) because their production increases during cellular stress, including heat, which can cause other proteins to misfold. Dr Prodromou’s work focusses on Hsp90, a specific molecular chaperone which assists in the folding of certain proteins into their correct three-dimensional shapes.
Dr Prodromou has also laid the foundation for targeting Hsp90 in cancer treating drugs. More recently, he has extended his work to neurodegeneration, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.