Lab Members

Graduate Researchers

Welcome to Danielle Ward, the lab's first PhD student! Danielle is in the Integrative Biology department at UC Berkeley, and is co-advised by Dr. David Ackerly. Danielle will be tackling many questions of lichen ecology and evolution, with a particular focus on foliicolous lichens.

Congratulations to Danielle for receiving the NSF GRFP and the Berkeley Fellowship!!!

Undergraduate Researchers

Claire Donahue is an undergraduate student studying Molecular Environmental Biology. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of ecology and public health. She is currently working on a project under the supervision of Dr. Inga Conti-Jerpe to learn more about fungal algal symbiosis in lichens using stable isotope analysis.

Congratulations to Claire for receiving the 2024 URAP Summer Award!

My name is Eemai Holt and I am a third-year Integrative Biology student at UC Berkeley. I work on analyzing lichen samples in the Bioimaging Lab alongside Klara Scharnagl. By closely observing lichen structures, we can further understand how lichens interact with their algal symbionts.

Congratulations to Eemai for receiving the 2023 URAP Summer Award!

I am a senior transfer student majoring in Molecular Environmental Biology. I am fascinated by evolutionary ecology and symbiotic organisms (especially lichen). I am currently investigating how the phenotypic plasticity of Hypogymnia imshaugii is influenced by microhabitats, photobionts, and chemical composition. My research interests are led by my appreciation for natural history and outside of the lab I enjoy hiking and backpacking and learning about all the organisms I see along the trail.

Bri Baumbach graduated in Spring 2023, and will now be joining the University and Jepson Herbaria as a Museum Assistant!

Clara Schuur is a multi-major undergraduate student, who has been working on patterns and drivers of urban lichen diversity in Berkeley, with a particular focus on the unique substrates of sidewalks!

Lab Group Photos