My current research focuses on exploring the fungal communities associated with South African gold mines. Specifically, we are interested in the human pathogen Sporothrix schenckii, which has a history of causing disease among gold miners. Therefore, utilizing a Dilution-to-extinction culturing approach, we aim to isolate the pathogen, while simultaneously exploring the mines fungal diversity. Furthermore, we are interested in the genetic diversity and population structure of the pathogen in South Africa.

I joined FABI in 2022, where under the supervision of Prof. B Wingfield, my honours project focused on two closely related plant pathogens of the genus Berkeleyomyces. The work focused on re-identifying the Berkeleyomyces species found on different hosts within South Africa, with the pathogens previously collectively identified as Thelaviopisis basicola. Furthermore, we designed a set of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the two species, to facilitate future research on the population structure and genetic diversity of the pathogens.