Why are there so many species of Fungi and what are they doing?

I am a fungal evolutionary biologist who studies cryptic fungal ecology in the plant–soil microbiome. My work asks a simple question with surprisingly hidden answers: when dozens to hundreds of fungal species share the same handful of soil, what actually makes them different?

To get at this, I focus on the ecological mechanisms and molecular functions that differentiate coexisting fungi in the plant soil microbiome, and how those functions evolve across space and time. Using a mix of field studies, deep metatranscriptomics, population and pan-genomics, and experimental bioassays, I track how fungal genes and pathways shift across environmental gradients, host trees, and seasons. This lets me link “who is there” to “what they are doing” – from nutrient exchange and stress tolerance to competition and niche partitioning.

Ultimately, my research connects fine-scale functional variation at root tips to broad patterns of fungal diversity across landscapes. By decoding how fungal functions arise, persist, and change, I aim to build a predictive, trait-based framework for understanding and managing the soil microbiomes that underpin forest health, bioenergy production, and ecosystem resilience.