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.

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.