Timothy James

Timothy James is a Professor and Curator of Fungi at the University of Michigan, specializing in the evolution of sex and reproductive traits in Fungi. His research integrates phylogenetics, population genetics, and molecular biology to study genomic conflict in heterokaryosis and the evolutionary dynamics of chytrid fungal diseases.

• Education: Ph.D. in Biology, Duke University (2003).

Research interests include fungal mating systems, heterokaryosis (nuclear cooperation/competition), and the phylogenetics of zoosporic fungi. His lab investigates chytrids like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and their role in amphibian population declines, alongside projects on mitotic recombination and fungal community dynamics.

Scientific contributions include recent articles in Nature on fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems and the evolution of diploid-dominant life cycles. His lab trains graduate students (Quinn Moon, Gayathri Venkatraman) and postdocs (Tamilie Carvalho, Yi-Hong Ke), often collaborating with institutions like the U-M Herbarium and Brazilian research teams.

Lab activities include workshops on chytrid fungi, isolation protocols for amphibian pathogens, and initiatives to use AI for specimen transcription at the U-M Herbarium. News highlights student achievements, such as Evelyn Faust’s 2025 publication on Batrachochytrium coinfections.