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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.

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. 

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.  

June is Pride Month; a month that celebrates and honours those within the LGBTQIA+ community and recognises their ongoing fight for equal rights and acceptance. During this year’s Annual Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, the Microbiology Society’s member-led group, Queer in Microbiology, hosted their fourth LGBTQ+ Networking Event, in collaboration with the collective artists group, Flow.Walk.Drag. Champion, Rebee Penrice-Randal, reflects on their experience at the event and the importance of such events in ensuring microbiology is inclusive and accessible to all.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia is an annual event that takes place on 17 May to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community and celebrates its diversity. This year’s theme, ‘the power of communities’, shines a light on the strength, unity and resilience within LGBTQ+ groups around the world.

To mark the day, this year we caught up with member and Champion, Daniel, to discuss his experiences at the LGBTQ+ social event, held at the Society's Annual Conference 2025.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is an annual event that aims to raise awareness on digital accessibility and inclusion for disabled people and those living with impairments. To mark the day, we caught up with member, Kathryn Burdon, to discuss their experience as a BSc student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Deaf Awareness Week is an annual event that celebrates Deaf identity and raises awareness of the Deaf community, its language, culture and history.

This year, it takes place from 5–11 May and to mark the week, we caught up with Members Panel member and Journal of General Virology  Editor, Sharon Brookes, to discuss her experiences as a microbiologist who has experienced hearing loss for most of her career.

To mark World TB Day the Society asked Jordan Pascoe, whose research, 'Metabolism triggers phenotypic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis', will be presented at the Microbiology Society's Annual conference, to provide insight into their research and the importance of understanding antibiotic resistance in TB.

To mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, the Society asked its Champions to submit their ideas for activities to promote WAAW, alongside our Knocking Out AMR project, in their local communities. There was a huge response, which resulted in a variety of outreach events, resource development and webinars taking place all over the world. In this series of blogs, we catch-up with some of the Champions who got involved. Below, you can find out how Champion, Dr Enas Newire (Middlesex University, London, UK) took on this challenge by hosting a week-long event at Middlesex University, UK. 

To mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, the Society asked its Champions to submit their ideas for activities to promote WAAW, alongside our Knocking Out AMR project, in their local communities. There was a huge response, which resulted in a variety of outreach events, resource development and webinars taking place all over the world. In this series of blogs, we catch-up with some of the Champions who got involved. Dr Bruno Silvester Lopes, Akpan Friday, Victory Igiku and Dr Michael Ogar collaborated internationally, to produce interactive sessions in schools in the UK and Nigeria.

To mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, the Society asked its Champions to submit their ideas for activities to promote WAAW, alongside our Knocking Out AMR project, in their local communities. There was a huge response, which resulted in a variety of outreach events, resource development and webinars taking place all over the world. In this series of blogs, we catch-up with some of the Champions who got involved. Dr Yinka Somorin, organised interactive sessions with students in schools in Accra, Ghana.

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day is aimed at achieving gender equality and empowerment for women and girls by promoting full and equal access to and participation in science.

This year, we caught up with Society Champion, Dr Orla Sherlock, to discuss her experiences as a woman working in microbiology and find out more about the outreach work she has been doing. 

To mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, the Society asked its Champions to submit their ideas for activities to promote WAAW, alongside our Knocking Out AMR project, in their local communities. There was a huge response, which resulted in a variety of outreach events, resource development and webinars taking place all over the world. In this series of blogs, we catch-up with some of the Champions who got involved. Professor Victorien Dougnon, with the support of Professor Philippe Sessou, organised a webinar from the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.

To mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, the Society asked its Champions to submit their ideas for activities to promote WAAW, alongside our Knocking Out AMR project, in their local communities. There was a huge response, which resulted in a variety of outreach events, resource development and webinars taking place all over the world. In this series of blogs, we catch-up with some of the Champions who got involved. Dr Bamidele Tolulope Odumosu (University of Lagos, Nigeria) organised a stakeholder meeting in Lagos, Nigeria.