Neil Gow is Director of Research and Commercialisation at the College of life Sciences, University of Aberdeen. He is an outstanding molecular mycologist, specialising in research on Candida albicans. He has an international reputation for his work on the genetics and biochemistry of fungal cell wall biosynthesis and for placing this fundamental work in the context of fungal immunology and medical mycology. He coordinates research and training in these fields UK-wide and is a national spokesperson for molecular mycology. One of the most able, thoughtful and productive molecular microbiologists of his generation, Neil is someone who grasps the issues of biomedical science in a national and international context.