The major contribution of fungi to the global burden of disease is not widely appreciated, despite the fact that fungi infect billions of people annually. While most infections are non-life threatening superficial infections, such as athlete's foot, millions of people contract invasive fungal diseases resulting in global mortality figures that rival those of tuberculosis or malaria.

Our ability to tackle these urgent challenges is considerably constrained by a worldwide lack of capacity in basic and clinical mycology. The MRC CMM helps to meet this strategic need by facilitating pioneering cross disciplinary research addressing the priority areas of research, and by increasing UK capacity for basic and clinical research for the future.