In 2018 the medal was awarded to Professor Lynne Boddy of Cardiff University, one of the foremost fungal ecologists in the world.

Professor Boddy has pioneered the study of how fungal communities develop in wood and her ground-breaking work has revealed the key roles of fungi in forest ecosystems.

On receiving the award, Professor Boddy said:

“As a fungal ecologist, I am well aware that the iconic fruit body – mushroom, bracket etc. – is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, with a large network of fungal filaments actively working unseen. Similarly, though I have the great honour of being the recipient of this award, many talented women and men have performed the experiments and contributed ideas upon which our scientific discoveries and understanding of fungi is founded.”