Summary: Pathogenic fungi represent a significant fraction of globally relevant emerging disease concerns, and are an important source of opportunistic infections in an increasing population of immunocompromised human patients and animals. In combination with investigations of outbreaks designed to identify possible environmental sources of Exophiala spp. in aquarium settings, this research will provide important applied mycologic data for comparative studies focused on the ecology of dark molds.

Future Directions: My career goals include an academic position particularly in wildlife health using diagnostic tools to investigate virulence determinants of emerging pathogens, their impact on animal and human health, and host response to infection.