Prof Irmanida Batubara, IPB University Researcher Wins Gold Winner for Best Senior Scientist in STEM

Prof Irmanida Batubara, Professor at the Department of Chemistry, IPB University, has received numerous recognitions and appreciations for her long dedication to research based on Indonesia’s natural resources. 

Most recently, she won the Gold Winner of the 2025 Diktisaintek Research and Development Award in the category of Best Senior Scientist in the Field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). She received the award at the 2025 Diktisaintek Awards in Jakarta (12/19).

This award affirms Prof Irmanida’s consistency in developing chemistry research that does not stop at publication but continues to the downstream stage and direct utilization for the community. The innovations she has developed utilize Indonesia’s rich natural resources as raw materials for health and cosmetic products.

Previously, at the institutional level, Prof Irmanida also received recognition as Lecturer with the Best Publication Performance in the 2025 IPB Awarding. In 2023, she was ranked second in the Academic Leaders Award in the field of Health, through the development of innovations based on Indonesia’s natural resources.

This track record is further strengthened by international recognition. Prof. Irmanida is one of six IPB University researchers included in the World’s Top 2% Scientists Worldwide 2025 list released by Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier.

A number of innovations that have been implemented include beauty and health products, such as the use of bay leaves as a skin brightener, mangroves as an anti-aging agent, guava leaf extract for the treatment of COVID-19, Bioluric for gout, and cet chic toothpaste. These innovations demonstrate how chemical research can bridge basic science with the real needs of society.

“Receiving this award is certainly a great honor and recognition for the hard work of my colleagues and students over the years. However, for me, this award is not the end, but the beginning of continuing to work even harder,” said Prof Irmanida.

She hopes that this achievement will encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration so that the resulting research will have a broader impact. She invites her fellow lecturers to continue to inspire and pave the way for the younger generation. Meanwhile, to students, she advised them not to be afraid to dream big and to view research as a real contribution to the nation and the world.

She dedicated this award to her family, the IPB Center for Tropical Biopharmaceutical Studies (TropBRC), the late Prof Latifah, the late Edy Djauhari, and all lecturers, educational staff, and undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students of Chemistry at IPB University. For Prof Irmanida, the role of a faculty member is not only to teach but also to ensure that knowledge advances and brings tangible benefits for Indonesia’s progress. (dh) (IAAS/LAN)