The Tri-Institutional Molecular Mycology and Pathogenesis Training Program (Tri-I MMPTP) faculty members are unified by their research interests in fungi, and the participating institutions — Duke University, North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) — offer arguably the highest concentration of researchers who study fungi. Faculty are selected to cover a range of areas of fungal research, and they comprise a rich community that shares resources, interacts regularly, and collaborates frequently.
There are currently 40 training faculty who may serve as mentors. For convenient identification of their broad area(s) of mycological expertise, each program faculty member is listed with one or more of the following categorical terms:
- Medical Mycology and Plant Pathogenic Fungi refer to investigators who focus on fungi that are pathogenic for humans or plants, respectively. Their studies include mechanisms of pathogenesis, host defenses, and targets for improved diagnosis or intervention
- Fungi as Model Systems applies to research in which fungi are exploited to investigate the genetics and cellular and molecular biology of tractable eukaryotes, including the mechanisms and regulation of various processes (e.g., transcription, signal transduction pathways, reproduction, DNA repair, biosynthesis, morphology, and similar studies).
- Genomics, Evolution and Phylogenetics includes projects that may involve species or strains of pathogenic and/or non-pathogenic fungi and involve studies of population genetics, comparative genomics, evolution, and phylogenetics.
- Immunology and Host-Pathogen Interface includes investigators and research programs focusing on how adaptive and innate immune pathways control responses to pathogenic fungi as well as investigators employing novel host-derived cells and heterologous hosts to analyze the host-pathogen interface.
Faculty members engaged in major projects that involve more than one category are listed more than once.
Medical Mycology
Barbara Alexander, MD
Duke University, Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
J. Andrew Alspaugh, MD,Co-Director, Fellows
Duke University, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Richard Brennan, PhD
Duke University, Biochemistry
Nicolas Buchler, PhD
North Carolina State University, Molecular Biomedical Sciences
Fred S. Dietrich, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Katherine Franz, PhD
Duke University, Chemistry
Steven Haase, PhD
Duke University, Biology
Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, Director
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; Pharmacology & Cancer Biology
Melissa DePaoli Johnson, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Dennis Ko, MD, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Thuy Le, MD, PhD
Duke University, Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Jennifer Lodge, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Paul Magwene, PhD, Co-Director, Admissions
Duke University, Biology; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Daniel Matute, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology
John R. Perfect, MD
Duke University, Medicine (Infectious Diseases); Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Asiya Gusa, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Mari Shinohara, PhD
Duke University, Immunology
David Tobin, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Kenichi Yokoyama, PhD
Duke University, Biochemistry
Plant Pathogenic Fungi
Ignazio Carbone, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Marc A. Cubeta, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Ralph Dean, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Kevin Garcia, PhD
North Carolina State University, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Sheng Yang He, PhD
Duke University, Biology Department
Christine Hawkes, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology
Lina Quesada, PhD
North Carolina State University, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Fungi as Model Systems
Kerry Bloom, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology
Nicolas Buchler, PhD
North Carolina State University, Molecular Biomedical Sciences
Nathan Crook, PhD
North Carolina State University, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Amy Gladfelter, PhD
Duke University, Cell Biology
Steven Haase, PhD
Duke University, Biology
Christine Hawkes, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology
Caiti Smukowski Heil, PhD
North Carolina State University, Biological Sciences
Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, Director
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; Pharmacology & Cancer Biology
Asiya Gusa, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Caroline Laplante, PhD
North Carolina State University, Molecular Biomedical Sciences
Paul Magwene, PhD
Duke University, Biology
Thomas D. Petes, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Rytas Vilgalys, PhD
Duke University, Biology; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Kinichi (Ken) Yokoyama, PhD
Duke University, Biochemistry
Genomics, Evolution & Phylogenetics
Nicolas Buchler, PhD
North Carolina State University, Biology
Ignazio Carbone, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Marc A. Cubeta, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Ralph Dean, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Fred S. Dietrich, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Paul Magwene, PhD, Co-Director, Admissions
Duke University, Biology; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Rytas Vilgalys, PhD
Duke University, Biology
Immunology and Host-Pathogen Interface
Oliver Baars, PhD
North Carolina State University, Plant Pathology
Maria Ciofani, PhD
Duke University, Immunology
Dennis Ko, MD, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Jennifer Lodge, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Edward Miao, MD, PhD
Duke University, Immunology Department
Mari Shinohara, PhD
Duke University, Immunology; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
David Tobin, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Lawrence David, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
John Rawls, PhD
Duke University, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology