Melbourne: An Indian-origin professor from Australia has been awarded the 2023 Dorothy Jones Prize for using microbiology to make a significant contribution to understanding of terrestrial life and preservation of global ecosystem.

Brajesh Singh, a global expert in the field of microbial functional ecology from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment in Western Sydney University, was presented the award at the British Medical Association (BMA) House in London last month.

Singh's fundamental research provides solutions to global challenges, including environmental degradation and food insecurity. This has been done by identifying the quantitative relationships between soil diversity and ecosystem functions and exploring how these are impacted by natural and anthropogenic pressures.