British Society for Plant Pathology 2025 RKS Wood Prize awarded to Professor Paul Birch

In 2024, Professor Paul Birch of the University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute was nominated for the BSPP RKS Wood Prize by Dr Ingo Hein and Professor Richard Oliver. The BSPP were pleased to announce that Paul had accepted this award and will be giving a lecture on his achievements at their conference, Plant Pathology 2025.

The RKS Wood prize is named and awarded in honour of Professor RKS Wood to acknowledge his role in driving the establishment of the discipline “Physiological Plant Pathology”. The prize celebrates excellent science in the study of plant disease biology and its application in the protection of plants against pathogens.

Professor Paul Birch, based at the James Hutton Institute, is a highly respected scientist in the field of plant pathology. We are pleased to announce that he has been awarded the BSPP RKS Wood Prize in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field.

Currently serving as the Head of the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Dundee, Paul boasts an impressive career spanning over 30 years in the field of plant pathology. He is a highly respected member of the scientific community, actively contributing to the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) and leaving an indelible mark through his diverse research endeavours.

Paul’s research accomplishments are truly remarkable. His ground-breaking work includes significant contributions such as establishing the first genome for Pectobacterium and identifying the RXLR-class of oomycete effectors, with a particular focus on Phytophthora infestans. He has unravelled the molecular mechanisms behind pathogen virulence, shedding light on how effectors perturb host defences to facilitate pathogen growth, the role of effectors in non-host resistance, and the mechanisms by which effectors translocate into their hosts. These landmark papers have garnered widespread recognition, evident in his remarkable citation count of 17,750 and an impressive h-index of 71.

In addition to his research achievements, Paul’s accolades further exemplify his standing in the scientific community. He received a nomination as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2016, followed by the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2017. Notably, he was also honoured with a Major Personal funding award in the form of an ERC Advanced Grant in the same year. These esteemed acknowledgements underscore his significant contributions to advancing scientific knowledge.

Paul’s dedication to bridging the gap between academia and industry is highly significant. His collaborative efforts involve deciphering pathogen recognition mechanisms by the innate immune system and identifying critical vulnerabilities that can be directly targeted for pathogen control measures.

By actively engaging with Industry, Paul has played a vital role in translating his research findings into practical applications, effectively contributing to pathogen control strategies.

Beyond his scientific achievements, Paul serves as an influential figure within the scientific community. His commitment to mentoring and fostering the next generation of talented scientists is exemplary. He has been instrumental in introducing numerous students and visitors to the BSPP, where he actively advocates for the society. Additionally, his organisational prowess is evident through his successful coordination of major scientific events, including the IS-MPMI meeting held in Glasgow in 2019.

Despite his well-deserved reputation as a top scientist, Paul remains highly approachable and deeply invested in promoting the development of young scientists in the United Kingdom and internationally. Reflecting his caring nature, he holds prestigious positions at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Huazhong Agricultural University in China. Notably, he has supervised 36 successfully completing PhD students and 35 PDRAs, many of whom have continued their academic pursuits and maintain collaborations with Paul. Indeed, 23 of these have become PIs: 15 as Associate Professors/Senior lecturers and eight as Full Professors.

In light of Paul’s exceptional research contributions, his dedication to scientific outreach, and his significant impact on the scientific community, he is the deserving candidate for this year’s RKS Wood Prize.

Original article written by and published on The British Society for Plant Pathology website.