I’m delighted to share that I’ve been awarded a Wellcome Trust Fungal Adaptation Grant in collaboration with Dr Becky Hall (Co-investigator from the University of Kent) to lead a major new research programme on Mucormycosis — a devastating fungal disease responsible for over 59,000 deaths globally each year. Caused by spores from the diverse Mucorales order, Mucormycosis manifests in a range of clinical forms and is strongly influenced by both fungal species and patient risk factors. Among these, Rhizopus species account for more than 70% of cases worldwide and are remarkably resilient under environmental and host stress.

Our research aims to uncover how different Mucorales species adapt to their surroundings — both in nature and within the human body — and how this stress adaptation drives infection. By integrating advanced lab techniques and a unique collection of clinical and environmental isolates, we will map the regulatory networks that govern stress responses across this diverse fungal order. This work will fill critical gaps in our understanding of Mucorales biology and help in revealing new therapeutic targets, paving the way for better management of this lethal, yet neglected, disease.

I’m grateful to the Wellcome Trust for supporting this ambitious effort to tackle an urgent global health challenge and look forward to getting started on this exciting programme with Becky, our teams and the network of collaborators

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