Women of Achievement 2018: Dr Katie Field

Highlighting the accomplishments of Dr Katie Field

Dr Katie Field is a supervisor at the University of Leeds – an example of the high calibre staff supporting our PhD students within the White Rose BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. 

Dr Field, an Associate Professor in the School of Biology, is a superb scientist with extraordinary capacity for interdisciplinary innovation and has internationally-recognised expertise in symbioses between plants and fungi.

Katie was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize in Biological Sciences in 2017 for her research on the diversity and evolution of plant-fungal symbioses. These prestigious prizes recognise the achievement of outstanding researchers, whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future career is exceptionally promising.

Katie’s BBSRC Translational (David Phillips) Fellowship (2016-2021) for research into the interactions between crops, fungi and CO2 is, to date, the only one to have been awarded.

Katie actively contributes to the work of learned societies and journals, sitting on the editorial board for Functional Ecology and as chair for the Plant Environmental Physiology Special Interest Group, which spans both the British Ecological Society and the Society for Experimental Biology.

The Women of Achievement Awards recognise the significant contribution and impact women at the University are making across our institution and beyond.

Held for the fifth time last year, the Awards are a key part of the University’s Leeds Gender Framework. They are integral to our commitment to further promote and accelerate gender equality, support the career development of talented women in all areas of the organisation, and provide high-visible role models that will inspire others to develop and thrive.

The outstanding achievements of 15 female colleagues and students were recognised at the 2018 Women of Achievement Awards.

They celebrate the significant contributions and impact the winners have made across Leeds University and beyond. The women receiving awards were all nominated by their peers, and represent academic and professional staff, as well as students, and are drawn from across the University.

They all share a common commitment to excellence and have performed outstandingly in their fields, whether this be in research, student education or student experience, scholarship, leadership of key University initiatives, or supporting administrative and technical activities.