Fire-Following Fungi-- Monika Fischer

Monika Fischer will speak about fire-following fungi and what happens immediately after fire.
Monika Fischer is an Assistant Professor of fungal biology in UBC Botany department. Her lab's research seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms that mediate fungal interactions and drive ecological processes, especially in the context of fire. Her first passion was food and she was a chef for several years before getting bit by the fungal bug while working at a farm-to-table restaurant in Washington. A strong desire to understand how fungi interact with each other and their environment propelled her through a biology bachelor's degree at University of Washington in Seattle, and then a microbiology PhD and postdoc at UC Berkeley in California, which is where she started studying the genetics and ecology of fire-adapted fungi.