1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
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 I am a fungal taxonomist interested in generating information (morphological, molecular, abundance, distribution) on poorly known groups of Ascomycete fungi. My basic questions relating my research on fungi to biodiversity are: what do these fungi look like? Can some of the species be easily distinguished from one another solely on morphology? Can we use molecular data to tell them apart? Are they common in the Neotropics? Do they occur in specific habitats in the Neotropics? What is their seasonality?
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2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
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I use traditional tools for collecting fungi from wood (good old hand lens, a pocket knife, a pair of pruning shears, sometimes a chisel). I also use modern technological tools such as GPS, computer-based image capturing systems, and DNA sequencing.
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3. Where do you study biodiversity?
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Several locations in the Neotropics (Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico)
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4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
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Basic knowledge about the abundance, distribution and seasonality of Neotropical Ascomycetes fungi is lacking. These voids have to be filled before any conservation concerns and efforts involving fungi can be effectively addressed. One aspect of my research concentrates on the documentation of unknown or poorly known Ascomycetes fungi growing on decomposing wood by using computer-based electronic tools. These fungi are easily overlooked since their fruiting structures are microscopic and ephemeral. My research is bringing to light the large amount of diversity found in these fungi.
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5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
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 Being a scientist offers the prospect of developing your own career, and enjoying your sense of discovery and exploration. It is a great feeling to be one of only a handful of people in the world to have the opportunity to observe and study these fungi.
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6. Describe important collaborations for your scientific endeavors (describe your work with other researchers, organizations, or scientific groups, local or indigenous peoples, etc.)
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Effective interaction with organizations and scientists in countries where the biofiversity resides is essential for the success of research projects. I have established important collaborative ties with the National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio) in Costa Rica. The national fungal inventory that INBio has been carrying out in Costa Rica for the last few years is providing incredible amounts of information that will help us assess the diversity of fungi in that country. This collaboration was important in designing a Field Museum inventory project of wood-inhabiting Pyrenomycetes in five conservation areas in Costa Rica that was funded by NSF.
I am also working in establishing collaboration with the Ecuadorian museum of Natural Sciences in Quito. Currently there are no well-established projects, to study the diversity of fungi in this megadiverse country.
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