Ian D. Medeiros

I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Dr. François Lutzoni (lutzonilab.org) in the Department of Biology at Duke University (Durham, NC, USA). My research deals with the systematics, evolution, and ecology of lichen-forming fungi, their photobionts, and fungal endophytes. I took a class in lichen biology during my first year as an undergraduate, and I've been captivated by the lichen symbiosis ever since. Prior to jointing the Lutzoni lab, I received a BA in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME, USA). At COA, I worked with Dr. Nishanta Rajakaruna (nishantarajakaruna.wordpress.com) on the geoecology of serpentine (ultramafic) landscapes and harsh anthropogenic habitats such as abandoned mines. I have participated in fieldwork for ecological investigations of plants and lichens in California, Maine, Massachusetts, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Colorado, and South Africa. My taxonomic training is primarily in lichens, vascular plants, and bryophytes (in that order), although I also have some knowledge of mushroom fungi and marine algae.