Lichenology

Systematics

Microbiome

Genomics

WELCOME

I am Research Botanist at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth, TX interested in different aspects of the lichen symbioses. My program addresses questions primarily related to systematics, microbiome evolution, and genomics. I previously held an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology working with Eric Schuettpelz (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA) and Martin Grube (Institute of Plant Sciences, Graz, Austria) and a Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellow in the Botany Department at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

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Education:

B.S. -  Biology (Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil).

M.S. - Botany (Universidade Federal do Paraná, PR, Brazil). Advisor: Sionara Eliasaro.

Ph.D. - Environmental Science and Public Policy (George Mason University, VA, USA). Advisors: James D. Lawrey & Robert Lücking.

Lichens are traditionally described as a symbiotic association between a fungus (mycobiont) and green algae and/or cyanobacteria (photobiont), but for some time now research has demonstrated that they also harbor many microorganisms (bacteria and fungi primarily), some of which are obligately lichen-associated.

For more information about my academic program, please visit my Research page