Photo: Professor John Carr, CPS President

Professor John Carr, President of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and Head of the Virology and Molecular Plant Pathology group at the Department of Plant Sciences has been elected as a new Honorary Member of the British Society of Plant Pathology (BSPP).

The award recognises Professor Carr’s significant contributions to plant pathogen research and to the plant pathology research community through his commitments to mentorship and collaboration.

His work has significantly advanced the understanding of plant pathogen interactions and defensive signalling in plants, from early work on pathogenesis-related proteins and salicylic acid signalling to influential research on plant-microbe interactions and virus transmission.

Professor Carr said: “I am truly humbled and honoured that the British Society for Plant Pathology has awarded me an Honorary Membership.

“All the work has depended upon successful collaboration, notably with my longest-standing collaborators Alex Murphy and Peter Palukaitis, as well as with so many marvellous colleagues, students and postdocs I have been most fortunate to work with over many years.

“Finally, I would like to thank the BSPP both for this honour and for much support over the years, most notably providing bursaries for two superb masters students, but most importantly for creating a marvellous community of plant pathologists.”

Professor Julian Hibberd, Head of the Department of Plant Sciences at Cambridge said: “It is wonderful, and an absolutely fitting tribute to John’s continuous contribution to this area of biology, that the British Society of Plant Pathology have decided to bestow Honorary Membership. On behalf of the Department, I offer my heartiest congratulations.”

Further reading:
Department of Plant Sciences - Professor John Carr BSPP Honorary Membership
Professor John Carr’s new Honorary Member of BSPP article