People

Emile Gluck-Thaler

Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor

PhD Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University
BSc Life Sciences, Microbiology Specialization, McGill University

gluckthaler [at] wisc.edu

Fungi are my passion. From my early days working at the Mycoboutique to now running the Fungal Interactions Lab, I want to understand how fungi work so we can harness fungal opportunities and better manage fungal threats. One of the best parts of my job is mentoring students and postdocs. My mission as a mentor is to empower and inspire trainees to become life-long learners by building independence, confidence and curiosity.

I received my PhD in 2019 from the Slot lab at the Ohio State University, and went on to postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania in the Wood lab and the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland in the Croll lab, where I was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow. I began my position in the Department of Plant Pathology at UW-Madison in 2023. Outside of work, I love hiking, bouldering and making ceramics.

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• Bluesky

Samuel O’Donnell

Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD, Sorbonne University
BSc, MSc, The University of Auckland

I am interested in how genome architecture is modified in the face of strong selection pressures. I received my BSc and MS from The University of Auckland and my PhD from Sorbonne University in 2020. I stayed at Sorbonne University for my first post-doc and moved only slightly for my second at University Paris-Saclay. I joined the Fungal Interactions Lab in 2024 to continue researching the adaptive role of Starships, primarily by developing new computational tools and pipelines. Outside of the lab I enjoy bouldering, pickleball (a result of moving to the US) and visiting UNESCO sites.

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Justin Eagan

Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison

BSc, Indiana University

I am a postdoc studying the balance between Starship mobility and cargo gene expression, specifically looking at how this balance shifts depending on growth conditions. I received my BSc at Indiana University, after which I worked in a lab for a couple years studying Agrobacterium biofilm production. I received my PhD from here at UW-Madison from Nancy Keller’s lab where I studied secondary metabolism in the plant pathogen Penicillium expansum. Outside of lab I enjoy hiking, kayaking, video games, and block printing.

Grant Nickles

UW-Madison Distinguished Research Fellow

MSc, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison

BSc Iowa State University

The overarching theme of my research has been the genetic regulation underlying fungal metabolism. I received my BSc at Iowa State University, where my journey in science began with yeast molecular biology and biorenewable metabolic engineering. During my PhD at UW-Madison (Keller Lab), I was an NSF GRFP fellow focused on fungal natural products, with an emphasis on developing novel genome-mining tools to predict previously unknown metabolic pathways. I joined the Fungal Interactions Lab in Fall 2025, supported by a UW-Madison Distinguished Research Fellowship, where I plan to investigate the genetic and metabolic basis of fungal and bacterial microbial interactions.

Annika Pratt

PhD student- Plant Pathology (co-supervised with Mehdi Kabbage)

BA, Concordia College-Moorhead

I am interested in genetics of fungal plant pathogens. I graduated from Concordia College – Moorhead in 2022 with a BA in Biology, Computer Science, and Spanish. I joined the Fungal Interactions Lab and the Kabbage lab at UW-Madison in 2024 where I am studying Starships in the plant pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Macrophomina phaseolina. Outside of the lab, I enjoy figure skating, volunteering at the Wildlife Center, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers!

Kritika Chopra

PhD student- Genetics (co-supervised with Claudia Solis-Lemus)

BSc, Punjab Agricultural University

I am broadly interested in fungal genomics and evolution. I am currently working on building pangenome graphs and identifying DNA barcodes in Fusarium oxysporum. I received my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Punjab Agricultural University, India in 2022 and worked as an intern at Corteva Agriscience for a year. I joined the Fungal Interactions Lab and the Solis-Lemus lab in 2024. Outside the lab, I enjoy ice skating, dancing, traveling, and exploring.

Noah Brown

PhD student- Plant Pathology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (dual degree)

MSc, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BSc, Kennesaw State University

I am interested in the evolution of lifestyle and host switching within fungi. I received my BS in Biology at Kennesaw State University in 2021 and an MS in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2024. I joined the Fungal Interactions Lab in 2024 and aim to research the ecology and evolution of adaptive Starships in fungal communities. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing RPGs, walking in nature, baking, and taking care of my Goliath beetle, Silkie.

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Conor Bendett

PhD student- Plant Pathology

BSc, University of Wisconsin-Madison

I am interested in the roles Starships play in fungal evolution, looking at their horizontal transfer on a comparative genomics and molecular level. I’m also interested in protists, and am working on a comparative genomics project on cryptomonads, an understudied group of divergent photosynthetic eukaryotes. I graduated from UW-Madison with a BSc in Genetics & Genomics and Plant Pathology.

Julio Cesar Morales Batres

MSc Student and Fulbright Scholar – Plant Pathology (co-supervised with Leslie Holland)

Postgraduate Specialization in Agricultural Research, ICTA & University of San Carlos of Guatemala
BSc, University of San Carlos of Guatemala

I am interested in plant-pathogen interactions and the genetic mechanisms underlying disease development and resistance in crops. I earned my Agronomic Engineering degree in Agricultural Production Systems from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala in 2022 and completed a postgraduate specialization in Agricultural Research at the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (ICTA). My work has focused on agricultural research trials and integrated management of plant diseases, with experience in crops such as coffee, wheat, faba beans, and potatoes. I will be joining the Fungal Interactions Lab and the Holland Fruit Crops Pathology Lab at UW–Madison in Fall 2025 as a Master’s student and Fulbright Scholar, focusing on fungi causing cranberry fruit rot. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, exercising, and spending time outdoors.

Xavier Miller

Biochemistry Major

My focus in the lab is on developing physical protocols to study Starship elements and horizontal gene transfer in the Aspergillaceae family. I am currently working on generating a Starship recipient strain and establishing an optimized horizontal gene transfer protocol to facilitate future Starship mobilization experiments. Outside of the lab I enjoy rock climbing, exercising, and going to Bible studies.

Aidan Horn

Mathematics Major

I am majoring in mathematics, and I would like to pursue a trajectory that allows me to combine mathematics with genetic research.  I am interested in the phylogenetics and evolutionary history of Starships, and plant pathology in agriculturally important crops. I am working in the lab to probe for answers vis a vis Macrophomina phaseolina and its Starships; notably its virulence and the functions and mechanisms of action by which its Starships may confer host specificity to the fungi.

Morgan Marks

Genetics and Genomics Major

My focus in the lab is on developing a protocol to study and facilitate horizontal gene transfer through the movement of Starships across fungal species with a focus in the Aspergillaceae family. As well as understanding what conditions make horizontal gene transfer more favorable. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, hiking, and being outdoors. 

Grace Zhang

Microbiology Major

I am a third-year microbiology major interested in studying microorganisms and pathogens. Currently, I am working on conducting competition assays between Aspergillus species to determine which species can coexist with one another. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, drawing, and D&D. 

Lap Yan Daniel Tsui

Genetics and Genomics and Plant Pathology Double Major

I’m currently unsure of what to focus on but I’m interested in studying pathogenic fungi like Aspergillus fumigatus and the role Starships play in their success. I hope to carry out an independent study whose results could be applied in agricultural pest control. I enjoy comics, bowling, hiking, and trivia outside of the lab.