黑料入口 mycologist elected President of the British Society for Medical Mycology
It is a great honour to be asked to take on the role of BSMM President, and I very much look forward to working with the Society to achieve its goals
One of the UK鈥檚 leading experts in fungal infections, Dr Riina Richardson, has been elected the next President of the British Society for Medical Mycology (BSMM) 鈥� one of the oldest medical mycology societies in the world.
Dr Richardson is a Senior Lecturer in Infectious Diseases and Medical Education in the 黑料入口 Fungal Infection Group at 黑料入口, and an Honorary Consultant in Medical Mycology at 黑料入口 University NHS Foundation Trust. She was elected at the Society鈥檚 *59th Annual Scientific Conference in Norwich, September 2025.
Founded in 1964, the BSMM has almost 200 members across the UK, Europe and beyond. Its mission is to promote research, education and training in medical mycology 鈥� a field that has grown in importance alongside the rising awareness of fungal infections in human and animal health. The Society achieves this through international collaboration, symposia, scientific meetings and publications.
Reflecting on her appointment, Dr Richardson said: 鈥淚t is a great honour to be asked to take on the role of BSMM President, and I very much look forward to working with the Society to achieve its goals. This is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, advocate for our field, and unite researchers and clinicians to improve patient outcomes, strengthen infection prevention, and raise public awareness. I am inspired by the work of my predecessors and excited to help shape the next chapter of our Society together.鈥�
Dr Richardson is an internationally recognised clinical academic with more than 180 peer-reviewed publications in medical mycology, microbiology, mucosal immunology, and infectious diseases. Her research focuses on the pathogenesis of chronic mucosal infections and the mutagenicity of chronic Candida infections, with work spanning basic science, applied laboratory studies and clinical trials.
Clinically, she specialises in the diagnosis and management of fungal sinusitis, mucosal candidosis, and infections in immunocompromised patients. She also plays a key role in antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention. She has co-authored major guidelines including the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) guideline on vulvovaginal candidiasis and the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)/International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) guideline on candidiasis and rare yeasts.
Beyond her clinical and research roles, Dr Richardson is:
- Lead for Infectious Diseases learning at 黑料入口 Medical School
- Chair of the UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations (UK SMI) Bacteriology Working Group
- Member of the Royal College of Pathologists鈥� Special Advisory Committee for Medical Microbiology and Virology
- Lead for the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Academy
- Editor for both the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and the Royal College of Pathologists鈥� Pathology Portal
Her election as BSMM President reflects not only her outstanding contributions to science, education, and clinical care, but also her vision for advancing global collaboration in the fight against fungal disease.