Tell me more

Michael studies how fungi interact with their human hosts at the RNA level. His current research investigates how the opportunistic fungal pathogen Rhizopus oryzae manipulates host RNA splicing during infection.

He completed his PhD in Integrative Plant Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he elucidated the function of an acyl-CoA binding protein that regulates membrane fluidity in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. With a background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics, Michael seeks to uncover the strategies fungi employ to invade their hosts.

Beyond research, he enjoys sketching comic characters, editing travel videos and hiking with friends.