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Lichenology

Systematics

Microbiome

Genomics

WELCOME

I am a Research Botanist at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden | Botanical Research Institute of Texas (FWBG | BRIT)  in Fort Worth, TX, United States, interested in different aspects of the lichen symbioses. My program addresses questions primarily related to systematics, microbiome evolution, and genomics. I am also a Research Associate in the Botany Department at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, an Adjoint Faculty in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas Arlington (UTA), an Associate Graduate Faculty in the Department of Biology at Texas Christian University (TCU), and an Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Biology at George Mason University (GMU).

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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.

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Postdoctoral Experience:

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Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship – Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Smithsonian Institution (NMNH) | University of Graz, Austria
 

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

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