About

I began studying the fungi from my local grocery store in 2015. At one point, I made the connection that some of these mushrooms were foraged from the wild - free food! Before I knew it, I had a very large chicken of the woods sizzling in a pan. But something was wrong. After an hour and a half of cooking, the rubbery mushroom was still unpalatable, tasting like a soggy stick. As much as I cooked it and chewed it, the thing didn't get any better. The mushroom turned out to be an old, stiff Berkeley's polypore – nothing dangerous, but an embarrassing first try.
 
I've smartened up since then, becoming more cautious about the things that I stick into my mouth and caring about other qualities besides edibility. Finding a choice edible is still a big reason why I study fungi. However, I no longer consider myself a weird mycophage, but rather a much weirder mycologist. This website serves two principal functions: to share with the public my research and outreach as a graduate student at University of Michigan and to document my journey towards eating 1001 mushrooms. Please enjoy the fungal tales and portraits and contact me if you have any questions. 

Research

Fungi are an endless source of mystery and questions for the curious. As a doctorate student at University of Michigan, I shed light on the hidden diversity of fungi via taxonomy, phylogenomics, and metabarcoding. Learn more about my past and present research projects here.

Horizontal Gene Transfer of Gyromitrin

Gyromitrin is a deadly toxin produced by some species of false morels (Gyromitra spp.). We are characterizing the genes responsible for gyromitrin production and looking for evidence of horizontal gene transfer. 

Michigan Mycoflora Project

Through citizen-science outreach, we hope to inspire the public and assemble a modern reference of the biogeography, phenology, and conservation status of Michigan's macroscopic fungi. 

Phylogenomics of Tardigrade-infecting Fungi

Sorochytrium milnesiophthora is a zoosporic fungal parasite of tardigrades that has not been documented in almost 40 years. We hope to rediscover it and sequence its genome to better understand basal fungal phylogeny. 

Taxonomy of Crust Fungi

Crusts do not evoke much excitement, even in the world of mycology. However, they are an extremely diverse, ecologically important, and interesting group of fungi – once you get to know them.

Teaching and Outreach

As a graduate student instructor at University of Michigan, I have taught two semesters of microbiology and will be teaching mycology for the first time in fall, 2020. Click here to learn more about my teaching and outreach work. 

Mycological Organizations

Midwest American Mycological Info.

As a new resident to Michigan, I am excited to join a long-running nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to provide Michigan mushroom hunters with the education and certification to safely forage and sell wild mushrooms.  

Madison Mycological Society

I founded MMS in early 2018 and was its president for almost two years. In that time, we became a nonprofit association, grew our mailing to list to hundreds of individuals, and organized many mushroom walks, talks, and field trips. It was a grand time and a great lesson in leadership and civic engagement. 

Miscellaneous

Consultation

As a professional mycologist, I consult with entrepreneurs and interested individuals looking into fungal applications.

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1001 Mushrooms Blog

My lifelong goal is to eat 1001 fungal species. Read about edible fungi and tasty recipes, as well as my ponderings as a mycologist.

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Downloads​

Check out my CV and scientific publications. 

Contact