Hello! I'm Alison, Research Collection Manager of Fungi, Lichens, and Bryophytes at the Herbarium of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (MICH). I also manage the cryopreserved Culture Collection of Zoosporic Eufungi at the University of Michigan (CZEUM).
I am primarily an evolutionary biologist and fungal taxonomist specializing in microbial ascomycetes, but I use data and tools derived from molecular ecology to guide this work. My overall goal is to better integrate fungal taxonomy and molecular ecology in order to improve the understanding of microfungal diversity, evolution, and ecological roles. PhD (2021) in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona, where I worked with Betsy Arnold.
- Preserving voucher specimens from ecological studies.
- Generating barcode sequence data from expertly-identified fungal specimens.
- Improving reference databases, and being cautious when using barcode sequence data alone to identify or classify fungal sequences.
- Investing in and valuing traditional taxonomic approaches.
- The overwhelming scale of unknown diversity in the Fungi.
You can view my CV here.
Twitter / Google Scholar / ResearchGate
University of Michigan Herbarium (MICH) | Research Museums Center | 3600 Varsity Drive #1048 | Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2228 [email protected] | 734.936.8028