Thanks to our research and training in medical mycology, The MRC CMM provides a range of benefits to academia, industry, clinicians and the general public

Benefits to academia:

The training programmes within the MRC CMM will produce a cohort of basic scientists and clinicians with expertise in medical mycology. This cohort will contribute to building research capacity in this neglected field in the UK, adding vitality to the sector. The training and mentoring of a new cohort of Early Career Fellows will similarly contribute to capacity building in this field. Research projects addressing our new themes will lead to new interdisciplinary collaborations and advance our understanding of fungal disease. The results generated will be of interest to a wide range of specialities including, for example, immunologists and systems biologists as well as clinical academics in several specialities including, for example, infectious disease and dermatology.

Benefits to industry:

Research in the MRC CMM will address the most pressing questions in medical mycology and is very likely to generate exploitable data, tools and resources that will advantage industry. For example, our ongoing and planned research activities will contribute directly to the development of new diagnostic platforms and drug discovery screens. Exploitation of these discoveries will be achieved through our extensive and longstanding links with other universities, SMEs and pharmaceutical companies, and the support of key translational infrastructure that is available at the University of Exeter. These activities will be enhanced by our institution's MRC Confidence in Concept and Wellcome Trust ISSF awards.

Benefits to clinicians:

In addition to increasing capacity in clinical medical mycology through our training programme, MRC CMM research has the potential to improve management strategies and patient outcome in the future. In addition to the exploitable discoveries described above, for example, the new insights into antifungal immunity that we will generate may help explain susceptibility to infection and lead to the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. We have already made impacts in such areas.

Benefits to patients and the general public:

The creation of the MRC CMM has helped focus national and international attention on this important area of infectious disease. Our research will be of interest to the general public because many individuals suffer from fungal infections. We plan to disseminate information about fungal infections in the scientific and popular press, on the Internet and social media, through live events and our other outreach activities. The MRC CMM will host open days, continue school outreach activities, and host work experience and placement programmes for undergraduate students. MRC CMM members will continue to provide guest lectures on medical mycology to basic science and clinical undergraduates and postgraduates at universities throughout the UK, to raise awareness of this field. Moreover, MRC CMM members will continue to be involved in national patient organizations and to present our research to patients and their relatives. All MRC CMM staff will be involved in public outreach activities. In the longer term, MRC CMM research will contribute to improved treatment and outcome, resulting in enhanced quality of life and reduced impact on health care budgets.

Benefits to our Students and Fellows:

In addition to world-leading training in medical mycology, the MRC CMM will actively promote the career development of trainees through close mentoring, training in transferable skills, and the development of strong support networks.