The Pringle Laboratory

Anne Pringle – apringle2@wisc.edu

Letters & Science Mary Herman Rubinstein Professor

Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor

Departments of Botany & Bacteriology

Google Scholar

Cecelia Stokes – ckstokes@wisc.edu

I am a 3rd year PhD candidate, co-advised by Drs. Anne Pringle and Michelle Jusino. I’m studying the chemical ecology of Amanita phalloides, an invasive and ectomycorrhizal fungus. Broadly, I am interested in how A. phalloides’ toxins mediate interactions with potentially antagonistic organisms and how those relationships shift during its invasion in California. I received my B.S. in General Biology at the University of North Carolina Asheville where I fell in love with the forests of southern Appalachia and the breadth of fungal biodiversity found within them. Traipsing around the forest looking for fungi and cool plants is still a favorite pass time, along with reading, running, and hanging out with my dogs. Here is my personal website

Aishwarya Veerabahu – veerabahu@wisc.edu

I’m Aishwarya, a 5th year PhD candidate, studying the ecological impacts, evolution, and social perspectives of invasive Golden Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus). It’s nuts, but a really fun project. I got my B.S. in Biology from UC Riverside in Southern California, nested in chaparral hills that sparked my love for botany. After graduating, my passion for plants and ecology led me to the rich forests of the Adirondacks, where I found fungi! In all crazy shapes and colors! In my free time, I enjoy jamming with my friends (Big Slide!), playing with my dog, going on forest walks, making art, biking, and learning banjo.

Corbin Bryan – bryan6@wisc.edu

I am a PhD candidate in the Pringle Lab interested in investigating fungal species delineations and fungal genome evolution in genus Amanita. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing the Viola da Gamba and Guitar, foraging for mushrooms (of course), and reading old literature about dead languages.

Michael Hensley – mdhensley@wisc.edu

Hi, I’m Mike! I am a second year Master’s student studying the biodiversity of the genus Amanita in Wisconsin. I am interested in the immense diversity of organisms this world harbors and how we value the conservation of them. Ultimately, I wish we could conserve it all but that currently isn't feasible. Outside of the Lab, I enjoy interacting with the outdoors in both a physical and mental manner. I love to ski, mountian bike, fish, stare at plants, and identify organisms in the world around me.

Shaneya Miriyagalla – miriyagalla@wisc.edu

I am Shaneya Miriyagalla and I am a third year PhD student in the Pringle Lab. I am originally from Sri Lanka, and I have a B.Sc. in Microbiology and an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s degree in Plant Health. In the Pringle lab, I am currently investigating the biodiversity of soil microfungi in different Wisconsin habitats, including sandbars, prairies and forests. In my project, I am using a rare historical baseline microfungal dataset to understand how these communities have changed overtime due to global change. Outside work, I enjoy spending time outdoors and making arts and crafts out of mushrooms!

Rowan Trest – trest@wisc.edu

Hi! I’m Rowan, a 3rd-year undergraduate majoring in Botany, German, and Conservation Biology. I have worked with Mike Hensley on the biodiversity of Amanita in Wisconsin project and Aishwarya Veerabahu on culturing Golden Oyster Mushrooms. Outside of the lab, I like playing ultimate frisbee, cello, and hiking with my dogs (Ciara and Fynn). I will be spending the next year studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany, as part of the Academic Year in Freiburg program, where I am excited to explore the mycology of Germany and Europe!

Aaliyah Golden-Whitehead – goldenwhiteh@wisc.edu

Hi! I am an undergraduate Botany student, expecting to graduate in May 2027. I am working closely with Cecelia Stokes to explore specialized metabolite chemical structures within Amanitas and how they are interconnected with the local ecological communities. I am from Kenosha, Wisconsin and other than a love of plants, I also love music.

Savannah Gentry, PhD – savannahlg3@gmail.com

With a focus on fungal pathogens of wildlife, Savannah spent her time in the Pringle Lab in physiological experiments with snake fungal disease (Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola) and yellow fungal disease (Nannizziopsis guarroi), discovering a wider breadth of host specificity of reptilian fungal pathogens than previously known. From one end of research to another, after completing her doctorate in the Pringle Lab, Savannah currently works as a Research Administrator handling the financial and budgeting side of research between non-federal and federal funding at the University of Wisconsin-Madison within the Laboratory of Genetics.

Jason Raiti – raiti@wisc.edu

Howdy, I'm Jason. I am a PhD student in the Hynson Lab at the University of Hawaii. I am also a former Masters student in the Pringle Lab. My MSC work was to use computational science to investigate the incredible diversity of spore shapes. Generally, I am interested in the evolution of fungi and their roles in ecosystems. I helped update this website to the current state. If you like this format and want to copy it yourself, feel free to get the code here. Check out my personal website. and past work and let me know what you think! Outside of the lab, I enjoy surfing the great lakes, reading science and science fiction, and making mead.

Soleil Young – seyoung7@wisc.edu

I am a joint PhD student in the Currie lab and the Pringle lab interested in the evolution of sexual reproduction and symbiotic relationships in fungi. I am studying how genetic variation is organized in the fungal mutualist of leafcutter ants, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. I am also studying the evolution of the mating type loci in Escovopsis, the mycoparasite of L. gongylophorus. I love thinking broadly and critically about the terminology we use to discuss sexual reproduction, and how that affects the questions we ask. Outside of the lab I enjoy spending time with my cats and playing video games. Here's my personal website.

Naamon Peyton – npeyton@wisc.edu

I am a recently graduated student in the Pringle Lab. My current research is surveying the fungi of UW-Madison's Lakeshore Nature Preserve and working with Savannah Gentry to create a field guide specific to the fungi that I encounter. I am interested in ethnomycology and mycoremediation.

Jacob Golan, PhD, JD – jacobjgolan@gmail.com

Jacob is a patent attorney specializing in strategic intellectual property portfolio development for fungal innovations, among others. He also provides pro bono counsel to Indigenous and local communities to protect traditional knowledge and biocultural resources.

Sheldon Stajkovic – sstajkovic@wisc.edu

I am a senior undergraduate student majoring in botany and conservation biology in the Pringle Lab. My research is focused on working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to complete their template for classifying invasive organisms, specifically for the invasive fungi Amanita Phalloides.

Yen-Wen Denny Wang, PhD – yen-wen.wang@yale.edu

Denny is interested in biological interactions between fungi and plants. He uses bioinformatics and genomics to understand the evolutionary history of ectomycorrhizal Amanita and invasive death caps. He is currently at Yale School of Public Health as a post-doctoral researcher studying the evolution of gene expression and regulation in Sordariomycetes.

Nora Dunkirk, PhD – ncdunkirk@gmail.com

In the Pringle lab, Nora pursued studies of fungal ecology and conservation. She used genomics, geographic distributions, and comparative morphology to test the invasive nature of Amanita thiersii in North America. In a large laboratory experiment, Nora measured physiological responses of decomposer fungi to test their ability to persist in nitrogen-polluted environments. Now located in Portland, OR, she is the conservation Mycologist for the Oregon Natural Heritage program (ORBIC) at Portland State University, monitoring rare fungi and plants and partnering with agencies for their conservation.

Yishai Barak – ybarak@wisc.edu

My primary interests are beneficial microbes & fungi and their mutualistic interactions with their hosts. My current research is investigating the differences in mycorrhizal colonization of burr oak in urban and rural settings.

Holly Elmore – m.holly.elmore@gmail.com

I am broadly interested in the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. I study genome organization in fungi, particularly as it relates to the bizarre diversity of fungal mating systems. For my thesis, I am investigating the mating loci of several species of Amanita mushrooms in order to learn more about the organization of this genome region and how it may be related to the evolution of the mushroom life cycle. I am currently building and populating Amanitabase, a database of Amanita genomes that will serve as the basis of my dissertation and hopefully lots of other research!

Cat Adams – catadams@berkeley.edu

Cat Adams is a PhD student at UC Berkeley, researching the role of secondary metabolites in plant-fungal interactions. Her Masters work with Anne examined the evolution of spice tolerance in fungal pathogens of wild chili peppers. For her PhD, Cat is studying the invasion of the deadly poisonous death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. She is also passionate about science communication, and has written for Slate and BBC Earth. You can read her personal blog ScienceIsMetal.com