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Our Champions Scheme allows members to promote microbiology and the Society in their local areas by providing funding and resources for a variety of activities. In Autumn 2025, Society Champion Georgios Efthimiou (Hull York Medical School, UK) organised a spooky story competition to coincide with World AMR Awareness Week and promote microbiology to the general public. Below, Georgios reflects on organising the competition.

Our Champions Scheme allows members to promote microbiology and the Society in their local areas by providing funding and resources for a variety of activities. In November 2025, Champion Nkechi Egbe (Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigeria) organised an outreach activity for school children in her local area, to promote World AMR Awareness Week, the Society and our Knocking Out AMR project. Below, Nkechi reflects on organising the activity.

International Women’s Day takes place annually on 8 March with the aim of forging a gender equal world, free from bias, stereotypes and discrimination. This year, to mark the day, we caught up with a few of our Champions to discuss some of challenges of being a woman in science, as well as their biggest achievements.

Women’s History Month takes place every year throughout March. This year, to mark the occasion, we have an update and request from Champion, Dr Corrado Nai (Indonesia), who is creating a graphic novel about microbiology’s forgotten woman, Fanny Angelina Hesse (1850–1934). Fanny discovered that agar could be used to grow micro-organisms. You can read more about the idea behind the project in Corrado Nai’s previous blog: Creating a graphic novel about microbiology’s forgotten woman. 

The first Women Microbiologist Network session was held at Annual Conference 2025 as a member-led event hosted by Dr Enas Newire (Middlesex University, UK). The inaugural session, titled ‘Women Microbiologists in Academia: Challenges and Opportunities’ was well attended and received positive feedback from participants.  

5 December is International Volunteer Day and it’s a great opportunity for us to highlight why Microbiology Society volunteers have decided to become Champions and have generously given their time to promote microbiology and the Society in their local areas.  
 
This year, we want to show appreciation to Champions who contribute to the Society in many different ways. They have attended events on our behalf; organised their own events; taken part in interviews, written blogs and even helped the Society go viral on LinkedIn! Champions have also played a vital role in the Society’s focus on equality, diversity and inclusion by providing content for awareness days and organising social events for members of our community from historically marginalised groups.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities takes place every year on 3 December, during UK Disability History Month. Both look to highlight the challenges faced by Disabled people. Member, Iga Wieczorek, has provided insights on her personal experiences, those of others and what needs to change.

In his third blog, the Society’s President, Professor Gordon Dougan FRS, writes about his experiences as he approaches the end of his first year in the role.

LGBTQ+ STEM Day takes place annually on 18 November to celebrate and highlight the work and barriers of LGBTQIA+ people in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). 

This year, we caught up with Members Panel member, Liam Cremona. He shared his insights and journey as a Gay person working in STEM. 

The Society offers a limited number of Vacation Studentships to enable undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during their summer vacation. The scheme also gives early- and mid-career scientists the opportunity to gain supervision experience.

Meet the Vacation Studentships recipients and learn more about their journey.

The Microbiology Society is saddened to share the untimely passing of Dr Girish Beedessee, an active and much-respected member of the Society.

Celebrated annually during the month of October in the UK, Black History Month recognises the contributions, culture and history of Black people. This year, we spoke to Onalenna Neo, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK, who shared her experiences as a Black scientist and reflected on the vital role of Black representation and visibility in the science.  

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Liam Walsh, from Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ireland.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Alistair Tweedie, from the University of Surrey, UK.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Ronnie Mooney, from University of Strathclyde, UK.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Phoebe Crossley, from University of Glasgow, UK.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Emmanuel Kuffour Osei, from University College Cork, Ireland.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Emma Davies, from the University of Glasgow, UK.

Earlier this year, Prof Chloe James, a member of our KO AMR Scientific Advisory group, organised several events at the House of Lords that brought together global experts to discuss bacteriophages as a vital tool against antimicrobial resistance.

This year, the Microbiology Society is awarding Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prizes from two streams. Both prizes recognise excellence in science communication by a member who is an undergraduate, postgraduate student or within five years of appointment to their first position.

Each of the finalists, who either presented a poster or offered a talk at Annual Conference 2025, was selected to present their research in the poster or talk final. In the lead-up to the talk final, taking place on 7 October 2025 during the Executive Committee meeting, we speak to talk finalist Emily Stevenson, from University of Exeter, UK.