The focus of my research interests is fungal systmatics and involves the use of molecular and morphological data to infer relationships among groups of fungi. In addition to addressing questions of taxonomy and patterns of morphological evol ution, I am interested in the use of phylogenetic methodology to infer the evolution of particular fungal symbioses. Currently, I am involved in two phylogenetic studies of disparate groups of fungi, entomogenous members of the Clav icipitaceae and ectomycorrhizae of the Hysterangiaceae .
I have also recently initiated a fungal biodiversity study of lowland to mid-elevation tropical rainforests of Guyana, South America . This project is funded in part by the Smithsonian Institution's Biological Diversity of the Giuanas Program . Our goal is to establish a baseline of fungal biodiversity and better document the major species of macrofungi which occur in these habitats.