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 mushroom hunter, but rather a much weirder mycologist. This website serves two principal functions: to share with the public my research as a PhD candidate 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. The lifetimes of a million mycologists wouldn't be enough to fully understand Queendom Fungi. That's a good thing, though – what would mycology be without the joy and fascination of learning new things? Along the way, we may discover truths that change how we live or relate to the broader world. As a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, I am investigating the evolution of the gyromitrin mycotoxin in lorchels (AKA false morels, Gyromitra spp.). On the side, I collect and study a group of fungi known as crusts and showcase them at my other website, crustfungi.com. Learn more about my past and present research here.

Evolution of Gyromitrin

Gyromitrin is a deadly toxin produced by some species of lorchels (Gyromitra spp.), which can be mistaken for widely consumed morels (Morchella spp.). In collaboration with natural products chemists, I am searching for the genes responsible for gyromitrin biosynthesis and exploring their evolutionary history. 

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 fascinating group of fungi – once you get to know them. There is not much accessible information online concerning crusts, so I developed crustfungi.com where I profile these interesting fungi. 

Teaching and Outreach

As a graduate student instructor at University of Michigan, I've taught microbiology and mycology labs. I also enjoy engaging with the public, first as founder and president of Madison Mycological Society and now with Midwest American Mycological Information, assisting with workshops for people interested in becoming certified mushroom foragers. In addition, I lead mushroom walks, serve as an expert mushroom identifier at forays, and present lectures to mycological clubs and societies across the United States. Finally, I am the webmaster for the Mycological Society of America student and postdoc section board. Click here to learn more about my teaching, professional service, and community engagement work. Contact me if you are interested in me giving a talk for your club or joining your next mushroom festival as an expert idenitfier. 

Miscellaneous

Consultation

As a professional mycologist, I consult with entrepreneurs interested in cultivating fungi and other areas of applied mycology.

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1001 Mushrooms Blog

My lifelong goal is to eat 1001 fungal species. Check out my blog to read about edible mushrooms (and some poisonous ones).

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Downloads​

Here you can find my CV and PDFs of my peer-reviewed scientific publications. 

Contact