The South African Women in Science Awards ceremony and gala dinner - one of South Africa’s premier Science events of the year, was held at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton on 17 August. This event was a great highlight for FABI where Andi Wilson was named winner of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Doctoral Fellowship Award. Another ‘feather in the cap” for the FABI team!  Andi is a Ph.D. student with Prof. Brenda Wingfield studying the genetic systems that govern sexual reproduction in fungal pathogens of trees. More specifically, she is elucidating the mechanisms that allow for unisexuality (a unique reproductive strategy) to take place in these fungi. Broadly this work promotes an understanding of how these fungi evolve and spread; ultimately with the aim of preventing tree disease outbreaks. Andi has just returned from a two-month research visit to Pennsylvania State University where she worked on developing a transformation protocol for the group of fungi that she studies. This work was supported in part by the SARChI Chair held by Prof. Brenda Wingfield.