Perry Lab
Fungal Systematics and Evolution
CURRENT TEAM
CURRENT TEAM
Brian A. Perry, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Dr. Perry has been at CSU East Bay since 2013, and has been studying fungal diversity, systematics and evolution since 1995. In addition to documenting the mushrooms and other fungi of Vanuatu, Hawaii and California, Dr. Perry's lab conducts research on the assemby, dynamics and biogeography of island fungal communities, endophytic fungi of Hawaiian plants, the systematics of Mycena and allied genera and the evolution of fungal bioluminesence.
Hollie Mickelson
Graduate Student
For her thesis studies Hollie is documenting the fungal microbiome of the native plant Scoliopus bigelovii (fetid adder's tongue), using both metagenomics and traditional culturing methods. Hollie's data will be the first look at the fungi that associate with this rather rare plant in California.
Jasmine Hain
Graduate Student
Jasmine worked as an independent study student in the lab as an undergraduate, and joined the lab in Fall 2017 as graduate student. Jasmine has been studying the endophytic fungi of the California native pickleweed, Salicornia pacifica, and will be expanding her work on this species for her master's thesis.
Brian Clauss
Graduate Student
For his thesis studies Brian is investigating the genus Alnicola (Basidiomycota, Agaricales, Hymenogastreaceae) from California. In addition to preparing a monographic treatment of the genus for the state, Brian is also addressing hypotheses of host specificity and gene flow among montane and coastal Alnicola populations.
Susan Hensen
Graduate Student
Susan is taking a metagenomics approach to investigate soil fungal diversity associated with different forest habitat types at Pepperwood Preserve, located northeast of Santa Rosa, California. The data from Susan's study will provide a window into the macro- and micro fungal community structure, function and diversity in these habitats.
Jonathan del Rosario
Graduate Student
Jonathan is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow working with Dr. Perry on his project to document the macrofungi of Tafea Province, Vanuatu. Jonathan joined the lab in 2015 an an undergraduate research assistant, and as a graduate student in Fall 2016. In addition to documenting the fungi Vanuatu, Jonathan is also investigating the phylogenetic placement of Marasmius calhouniae.
Devin Schaefferkoetter
Graduate Student
Devin is investigating the macrofungal diversity at Pepperwood Preserve, located northeast of Santa Rosa, California. His research focuses on documenting and comparing the macrofungal communities present in the Douglas fir, Oak woodland, and mixed evegreen habitats of the preserve.
LAB ALUMNI
Sean Swift, M.Sc.
Sean was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow working with fungi that live symbiotically within the leaves of the native Hawaiian plant genus Scaevola, a relatively small genus for which the evolutionary history and geographic distribution have been well characterized. Sean completed his MSc degree in 2016, and is currently working as a lab technician in Dr. Nicole Hynson's lab at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.