MSA Student and Postdoc Section

Where did you grow up?

San Francisco

Where are you currently doing research?

Clark University

Who are you working with?

David Hibbett

Describe your research project.

My past and current research has primarily focused on systematics and evolution of the genus of “Magic mushrooms” Psilocybe, which produce psychoactive compounds with high therapeutic potential for the treatment of myriad mental health issues. However, more broadly, I am is interested in exploring the complexity and evolution of fungal secondary metabolites, which have been utilized by humans throughout history for food, medicine, and in reclaiming polluted environments. Embracing the breadth of biological and chemical diversity that Fungi exhibit is paramount to understanding their role in nature, how they shape the environment around them, and how they influence the organisms the interact with.

Another unexplored realm of mycology is the functional development of morphology, such as how a mushroom is produced. For my post-doctoral research, I am working with Dr. David Hibbett and Dr. Javier Tabima, studying the systematics, functional genetics, and population structures of the gilled, and sometimes secotioid, polypore mushroom, Lentinus tigrinus.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I am looking toward the future of starting my own research group, focusing on Fungal Diversity, Evolution, and development incorporating fieldwork and museum voucher collections.

What is core value that you apply to your science

Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in the scientific world. My work has afforded me the opportunity to work with amazing people across the globe, including professional scientists, invaluably knowledgeable mycological enthusiasts, inquisitive member of the public, and numerous others from nearly every background imaginable. In an ever-growing complex landscape of scientific research and global connectivity, collaboration and open mindedness to new ideas is critical to the growth of future scientists.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

Mentorship and teaching are core values of the philosophy of science. As members of the scientific community, we are part of a social contract that obligates us to teach others. Good mentorship is critical to the education of students and the development of new career-oriented scientists. . Good mentorship goes beyond teaching scientific and laboratory skills to include life skills such as time management, communication, scientific communication, self-advocacy, work-life balance, mental and physical health, and ethics. These values can often be overlooked in academic mentorship; however, they are essential and unique to each student.

Where did you grow up?

Saint-Affrique, south of France

Where are you currently doing research?

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Who are you working with?

Maxence Martin (Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue – Quebec, Canada) and Mélanie Roy (Université Paul Sabatier – France, Universidad de Buenos Aires – Argentina)

Describe your research project.

In my current doctoral research, I aim to explore soil fungal diversity in old-growth boreal forests in eastern Canada and the specific implications of ectomycorrhizal fungi in carbon storage. Using environmental DNA sequencing, we plan to investigate this hidden diversity and try to understand how natural disturbance histories have shaped belowground fungal communities and the resulting spatial heterogeneity. We also want to determine whether soil ectomycorrhizal communities contribute to higher carbon storage as forests age. Another exciting aspect of my doctoral research is testing the potential of new tools, such as remote sensing technologies (i.e., LiDAR), to predict, model, and monitor soil fungal diversity across Quebec’s boreal forests. We are fortunate to have access to a unique network of old-growth boreal stand plots across Quebec to achieve these objectives, including a 264-year-old fire chronosequence at Lake Duparquet Research and Teaching Forest (near the Quebec-Ontario border). This dispositive allows us to compare soil fungal communities in old-growth versus younger stands. If I get to resume this whole project briefly, I’d say that we seek to figure out what fungal diversity is there, what it is doing, and how we can predict it. Ultimately, my project aims to improve our understanding of fungal diversity in old-growth forest ecosystems and promote the integration of funga into conservation strategies and sustainable, ecosystem-based forest management in Quebec. We hope this project will inspire similar initiatives across Canada and beyond!

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I recently received a doctoral research fellowship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT). Beyond my gratefulness for the support of my doctoral research, I’m especially pleased to see financial institutions funding projects related to fungi. That said, out of over 319 doctoral projects funded by FRQNT for the 2024-2025 period at the Quebec provincial level, only three focus exclusively on fungi-related research—just under 1%! I’m sure you’d agree this is still far from enough, but there is hope for increased funding in mycological research in the future.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

My main goal is to continue research in fungal molecular ecology, taxonomy and conservation. I’m especially looking forward to axing my research work on filling knowledge shortfalls of poorly known fungal groups in understudied ecosystems and habitats through postdocs and, hopefully, a permanent researcher position, wherever my mycological adventure will take me!

Who is your mycology role model?

Many mycologists have shaped my vision of mycology and research at present, but I’d like to especially mention three of them that have been, and still are, important sources of inspiration and mentoring through the years in research: Dr. Danny Haelewaters, Pr. Monique Gardes, and Dr. Mélanie Roy. Pr. Marc-André Selosse is also a role model for its dedication to science communication and popular science, which are two pillars of research I’m sensible to and deeply involved in.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Instead of mentioning a single fungus, I’d like to highlight an entire fungal group that has profoundly captured my curiosity: the Laboulbeniomycetes. These microfungi are fascinating to me because they represent a textbook of neglected, poorly known organisms with numerous heavy knowledge shortfalls. Their wide diversity of otherworldly morphologies, their dependence on one of the most species-rich groups of organisms (arthropods) to complete their life cycle, and their involvement in multitrophic interactions make them outstandingly intriguing!

Any great stories from field work (funny/interesting/something that stuck out to you)?

One of the most memorable aspects of my fieldwork during my master’s was searching for study sites. I was working on the soil fungal diversity in natural jack pine stands in the Abitibi region (Quebec, Canada). Since these stands are highly sought after by local forestry industries, we spent countless hours prospecting potential sites, hoping they hadn’t already been logged. After months of searching, we found enough sites, some of which were particularly hard to access! I remember one site where we had to drive for 45 minutes in a truck from the lab, then another 40 minutes by ATV, only to realize that the final step to reach our forest was crossing… a river! In such cases, I sincerely thank the beavers from this region for the dams that allowed us to access some of our sites! The fieldwork for my Ph.D. will partly take place in old-growth boreal forest plots accessible only by boat. Plenty of field adventures await me ahead! That’s the price to pay for documenting the fungal diversity in such exceptional ecosystems and hoping to make a difference in biodiversity conservation policies and sustainable forest management.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

One thing that you get to know as you gain experience in mycology is that fungi are always challenging our assumptions and preconceived knowledge about them. They cut through the walls of the conceptual boxes we put them in. The most recent example that comes to my mind is the delimitation between some fungal lifestyles, which is becoming less and less clear and relevant. This is what researchers have realized with evidence that some ectomycorrhizal fungi can actually behave facultatively as endophytes in host tissues. This is just one example among a myriad!