Dr Lindsay Hall has won the prestigious W H Pierce Prize, which is awarded by the Society for Applied Microbiology to a young microbiologist who has made a substantial contribution to the science of applied microbiology.

Lindsay and her team are studying the interactions between our bodies and the microbiome in early life. Her goal is to better understand how microbial communities programme the immune system, fight off disease-causing bacteria, and digest our food. Her research is highly interdisciplinary, combining microbiology, computational biology and applying this to the development of new microbiome-based treatments, in collaboration with researchers at QI and with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The award was instituted in 1984 by the directors of Oxoid to commemorate the life and works of the late WH (Bill) Pierce, former Chief Bacteriologist of Oxo Ltd and a long-time member of the Society.

“I am thrilled and honoured to have been awarded the WH Pierce Prize. I have to say it came as a complete shock and I feel very humbled to have been nominated and selected for this prestigious prize awarded by the Society for Applied Microbiology,” said Lindsay.

“The prize, and the recognition from the wider research community, has further cemented my desire to continue our applied microbiology research, and push forward to see what other exciting findings are on the horizon, with a long-term focus on trying to make a difference in the context of human health.”

As well as receiving the prize, Lindsay will give a lecture on her work at the SfAM and Fems Congress 2019 in Glasgow.

Quadram Institute Director Professor Ian Charles said “This award is very well deserved. It recognises Lindsay’s contributions not only to understanding the microbiome, but also to applying new knowledge in ways that will benefit health. On behalf of the Quadram Institute, I’d like to congratulate her and her team on the award.”

Alongside her pioneering science, Lindsay is also passionate about communicating about her research and microbiology. This has included developing a giant interactive gut to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition and the Norwich Science Festival that gave visitors a unique chance to interact with the microbiome.

Read more on the Society for Applied Microbiology website