Dr. Claire E Willing

Contact: willingc (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: she/her

Just as studies of gut microbiomes have revolutionized our understanding of human health, belowground, plant roots are centers of plant metabolism where interactions with microbial communities can have critical implications for ecosystem function. At the confluence of microbial ecology, plant community ecology, and plant physiological ecology, Claire’s research investigates the impact of climate change on forest microbiomes and the consequences for ecosystem resistance and resilience. To do this, she utilizes molecular tools, ecological theory, techniques in plant physiological ecology and stable isotope ecology, and field and manipulative greenhouse experiments. Research in her lab is primarily focused on plant-fungal interactions, especially those between plant roots and root-associated mutualistic fungi known as mycorrhizal fungi.

Claire is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS) at the University of Washington. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley with Drs. Todd Dawson and Tom Bruns and she worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow At Stanford University with Dr. Kabir Peay.

Google Scholar | Twitter | SEFS Faculty Profile

Ellie Fajer, MS (2024-)

Contact: efajer (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: she/her

Ellie Fajer is a technician in our lab. She completed a B.S in Earth Systems and Biology (2023) and an M.S. in Earth Systems (2024) from Stanford University. Ellie is broadly interested in intersections between fungal ecology and nutrient cycling under a changing climate. During her time at Stanford, she worked with Drs. Kabir Peay and Peter Pellitier to investigate how fungal community composition influences carbon storage across Alaskan boreal forests. Looking forward, Ellie is excited to head to New Zealand in 2025 for her Fulbright Research Award to investigate how fungal endophytes can help mitigate the spread of Kauri Dieback.

In her free time, Ellie enjoys hiking among large trees, running too early in the morning, playing trumpet, baking/cooking vegan treats, and working on her chaco tan.

Suvi Birch (2024-)

Contact: birch33 (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: she/her

Suvi Birch is an first year graduate student in our lab. She received her B.S. from the University of Arizona in 2023. During her time at the U of A, Suvi interned with the Pima Country Natural Resources Department through her university’s Earth Grant program and completed a project monitoring and replanting the sensitive species Tumamoca macdougalii. Suvi also worked at the University of Arizona Herbarium digitizing and maintaining the collections. After graduating, Suvi worked as an aquatics field technician for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) in Tucson, Arizonacollecting samples at the different field sites. Suvi is interested in plant-mycorrhizal interactions and the impact of climate change on this vital role in our ecosystem. She is passionate about creating programs to help more Black students enter the field of environmental science, just like the ones that helped her.

Outside of campus, you can find Suvi hiking, crocheting, admiring trees, or reading with a cup of hot tea on a rainy Seattle afternoon.

Mira Ranganath (2023- )

Contact: mranga (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: she/they

Mira Ranganath is a first year graduate student in our lab. She completed her undergrad at Occide

ntal College in Los Angeles, but she’s originally from Davis, California. She is fascinated by plant-microorganism interactions, especially under climate change, and their Master’s is focused on investigating the ecosystem roles of fire-adapted “pyrophilous” ectomycorrhizal fungi and how their relationships with plants are affected by shifting fire regimes.

She loves the kind of hiking where you stop to stare at plants and fungi every few minutes or spend the whole time scanning for berries. Her ideal evening is spent cooking with her partner, listening to jazz records, and watching queer films.

Sarah Winkowski (2023- )

Contact: swinko (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: they/them

Sara

h is a first year PhD student in SEFS with the Forest Mycobiome lab. Their research interests are understanding the impacts of climate-induced range shift on mycorrhizal community structure and function, and more generally in how below-ground interactions in the microbial community drive larger-scale ecosystem functions, and in patterns and mechanisms of fungal biogeography. They are also passionate about increasing pathways and access into science for people of all backgrounds. Before joining the Forest Mycobiome Lab, Sarah earned a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation and an M.A. in Museum Studies, fostering a keen interest in biological collections as references for biodiversity and global change. Following these studies, Sarah spent several years working at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture helping people to connect to the rich, diverse, and intertwined cultures and natural histories of Washington state.

Outside the lab, Sarah’s favorite hobby is picking up new hobbies—currently they are experimenting with homebrewing cider, fiber arts, and some simple wood carving.

Lab Manager: Liv Filialuna, MA (2023-)

Contact: ofluna67 (at) uw.edu | Pronouns: they/them

Liv Filialuna was our lab manager extraordinaire who helped get the lab up and running! T

hey received a B.S. in Organismal Biology from Montana State University (2021) and an M.A. in Museum Studies from the University of Washington (2023). While at MSU, Liv worked with Dr. Cathy Cripps to learn about fungi and complete a project investigating the soil stabilizing properties of post-fire fungi. During their master’s at U

W they designed a digital repository for mycological archives and histories.

Liv is also an active member in the amateur mycology world and volunteers on two of the North American Mycological Society’s committees: Vouchering and Marketing. They are interested in public outreach and engagement and hope to do both by working with fungal enthusiasts to record their history and impacts on the field of mycology. They spend their personal time thinking about, playing with, and taking photos of their cats, as well as cross stitching, reading books, and playing DnD.

Liv’s Instagram