Image credit: James Robinson

Gab Astorga, a social media creator and Quadram Institute microbiologist secured the top-spot in the Books and Learning category at the TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025.

Now in its second year, the TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 featured 72 creators across 12 categories – boasting a combined following of more than 83 million – and were held in London on Thursday 13 November.

Gab, who grew up in Mile Cross and attended Notre Dame High School before joining UEA to study Biomedicine, started his account during his undergraduate degree, something he describes as “such a fun journey”.

Between studying for his undergraduate degree in BSc Biomedicine to completing his PhD, he has amassed more than 432k followers and 23m likes for his videos, which focus on his life and love of nature.

Whilst studying for his PhD at the Quadram Institute on Norwich Research Park, Gab also worked as a student creator for the UEA Social Media team.

The 25-year-old, who has recently passed his PhD viva, said: “The win means everything to me. The whole reason I showcase my life, my research, and science is because growing up I never saw anyone like me.

“I use my platform to showcase science and diverse voices because there are people just like us out there. Our voices, ideas and opinions matter and will continue to shape our literature and our education.”

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