Lynne Boddy MBE FRSB FLSW is a Professor of Microbial Ecology at Cardiff University.
She became interested in mycology because she was taught by the notable mycologist John Webster and encountered the fungus Serpula lacrimans causing dry rot in her student accommodation.
Boddy subsequently joined Cardiff University in 1983, where she worked on antagonistic interactions, mycelia and fungal communities.
[16] She demonstrated that differences in the abiotic factors between sites can cause variation in the impact of priority effects in wood decay communities.
[9][21] She founded the British Mycological Society Fungus Day, which is held annually in October to highlight the importance of fungi in ecosystems.
[22][10] Her outreach highlights the role of fungal mycorrhiza in plant health[23] and the impact amateurs and enthusiasts can have on advancing understanding of mycological diversity.
[28] Boddy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to mycology and public engagement in science.