I am a Scientist at the University of Vienna in the Fungal Ecology Lab as well as member of the Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Department. I am also a visiting researcher at University of Bologna, DISTAL department. Currently, I am an FWF-ESPRIT Fellow, leading an independent research project focused on marine adaptation by comparing terrestrial and marine fungal strains, under the mentorship of Mark Anthony  using a multidisciplinary approach that includes comparative genomics, transcriptomics, phenotyping, and genome engineering. As a mycologist, I am focused on how fungi quickly adapt and thrive to extreme and different environments. I am particularly interested in the unique ability of fungi to degrade recalcitrant materials, a crucial ecological role that also offers biotechnological opportunities for sustainable solutions. I completed my PhD in Environmental Biology & Fungal Biotechnology in 2018 at the Westerdijk Institute (formerly CBS) in Utrecht, Netherlands. Subsequently, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at AIT and as a guest scientist at Evologic Technologies GmbH in Vienna, Austria.

To learn more about my research and publications, please visit my google scholar page.

Contact me: tiziano.benocci[AT]univie{dot}ac{dot}at

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vienna working with Mark Anthony in the Fungal Ecology Lab. I recently completed my doctorate at Murdoch University in Australia in 2024. My doctoral thesis was highly multidisciplinary and revolved around the cascading ecological impacts of a devastating plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. Currently, my main scientific interest lies with trees and their microbial associates both pathogenic and mutualistic – and the ecological effects that these associations have to the broader ecosystems they exist within. In this postdoc, I will be researching biotrophic microbial diversity in tree canopies and how this relates to tree health. 

Learn more about my research here. 

Contact me: thomas.malcolm.mansfield[AT]univie{dot}ac{dot}at

As of March 2023, I have joined Ecosystem Ecology Group at WSL as a PhD student supervised by Mark Anthony. The focus of my research is how the response of soil mycobiomes affects tree growth and death in forests. One of the main components of my research are ectomycorrhizal fungi. My dissertation research will provide better insights into how mycorrhizal fungi and ultimately forest trees are impacted by shifting environmental conditions caused by climate change. As a microbiologist at heart, my interest has always been to study plant-microbe interactions in different settings. I completed my Master’s degree at the University of Helsinki in forest pathology and mycology. Prior to my PhD, I was working in Rothamsted Research (UK), studying plant-microbe relationships in the agricultural field of research.

Contact me: artin.zarsav[AT]wsl{dot}ch

As of September 2024, I am a PhD student in the Fungal Ecology Group led by Mark Anthony at the University of Vienna. I have a degree in Biological Sciences and later specialized in Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies. My current research focuses on the diverse bacterial community that inhabits the mycelium of ectomycorrhizal fungi, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of how this ecological interaction operates and its functional impacts on the growth and development of forest trees.

Contact me: giorgia.cantini[AT]univie{dot}ac{dot}at

I started my doctoral journey in May 2024 with Mark Anthony at the University of Vienna. At the core of my research lies the exploration of symbiotic relationships within forest ecosystems, particularly focusing on tree endophytes, their impact on tree development, as well as their interplay with pathogens and mycorrhizal fungi. Using ecological and microbiological methodologies, my work seeks to illuminate these interactions, offering insights into how they influence the health and resilience of forest environments. As an enthusiastic mycologist, my interest in this topic was driven by a lifelong fascination in fungi that has captivated me since childhood. I completed my Master´s degree in Ecology and Evolution at ETH Zürich. Prior to my PhD I was working at the Swiss Federal Institute of Landscape Research (WSL).

Contact me: philipp.spiegel[AT]univie{dot}ac{dot}at

As of April 2024, I am a PhD student at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL), co-supervised by Mark Anthony at the University of Vienna.

My research focuses on how the total soil and foliar microbiome responds to climate warming and drought and how this response affects tree growth and ecosystem function. My dissertation aims to understand how the microbiome and the effects of climate change will affect the future development of European forests, and to improve our knowledge of how to manage these forests in the future.

Contact me: giulia{dot}burini[at]wsl{dot}ch

Since November 2024, I have been a visiting PhD student in the Fungal Ecology Group of Mark Anthony at the University of Vienna. My research in Vienna focuses on understanding the fungal communities associated with the growth of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) in its non-native ranges. My home school is Northwest A&F University, where I primarily studied the impact of reforestation with different tree species (mainly black locust and Chinese pine [Pinus tabuliformis]) on deep soil microbial communities and their ecological functions.

Learn more about my research here:

Contact me: zhiyuan(dot)xuu[at]gmail(dot)com

My name is Christos and I come from Lemnos, Greece. I have a deep interest for life and subsequently science. I have come to terms with the limits that our nature has bestowed upon us, and that has made me determined to learn as much as I can in order to share my findings back to the collection of our united knowledge. Currently I am working on inter- and intra-specific species relationships between fungi and trees of European forests with a special interest on the impacts of drought. 

Contact me: a12127285[at]unet(dot)univie.ac.at

After an academic odyssey through physics at the Technical University of Vienna and in Philosophy at the University of Vienna, I arrived at the Environmental Sciences. At this versatile harbor, I developed a fascination for soil and fungi. My research explores the role of soil fungi in influencing tropical forest plant restoration. 

Contact me: matthias.meschik[at]gmail{dot}com

Since my childhood, a deep interest and curiosity in nature has accompanied me. Through my undergrad in biology, I deepened this connection and nurtured my passion for botany. After graduating, my path has led me to the master program 'Environmental Science' where I would learn about the complexity of interactions in environmental systems and how to take on environmental pollution. An internship at the Austrian research centre for forests ignited my wish to connect my academical path with the forest and this has led me to the fungal ecology lab. My master thesis will be about fungal networks and interactions between trees.

Contact me: a12208030[at]unet[dot]univie{dot}ac{dot}at