The winner of the 2025 Godfrey and Sue Hall Doctoral Researcher Prize is Joni Wildman, PhD student in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

Joni’s PhD is titled ‘Advancing Mycelium-Based Composites for Sustainable Insulation’. The construction industry accounts for 37% of global carbon emissions and 62% of UK waste. Traditional insulation materials, such as expanded polystyrene, are energy-intensive, derived from finite resources, and contribute significantly to landfill. Yet insulation remains crucial for reducing building energy demands. Joni’s research focuses on a sustainable alternative-mycelium-based composites (MBCs). Mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, colonises and binds together organic matter. The colonised substrate is dried, killing the fungus to create a non-living material with low embodied carbon, good insulation properties, and waste repurposing potential. However, key challenges limit their use and Joni’s work addresses this by improving thermal measurement accuracy, exploring factors affecting performance, assessing mould susceptibility, and developing novel waste-based applications.

After receiving the award, Joni said “I was absolutely delighted to be recognised with this award. It means an incredible amount to me, and I am very grateful. It has given me more motivation to do the University proud, thank you for an incredible experience and for the opportunity to present my research to leading academics and fellow students.”

The prize is awarded on behalf of Senate by the Godfrey and Sue Hall Doctoral Researcher Prize Committee to a doctoral researcher based on a high standard of achievement. Sponsors of the award, Godfrey and Sue Hall, said “It is a privilege to be able to award this prestigious prize. Joni’s outstanding research yet again demonstrates the high quality of work that is being carried out by the University. Her PhD is quite unique in its approach and has shown great ingenuity in its application to a major issue in the building industry. Not only has she examined in detail some of the problems involved but she has also come up with some very interesting results from her detailed research.”