Dr. Michelle Momany
Ph.D Fungal Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas - Austin
B.A. Microbiology, University of Texas - Austin
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I joined the Plant Biology Department at the University of Georgia as an assistant professor and have been here ever since. One of the best parts of being at UGA is my incredible colleagues in the Fungal Biology Group. Having so many outstanding fungal groups in one place means that there are lots of fungal seminars and courses offered, plus there is always someone around to bounce ideas off of or discuss the latest papers with.
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Current research in the Momany lab focuses on two areas:
Polarity and the septin cytoskeleton in the model system Aspergillus nidulans. I cloned the first septin from a filamentous fungus as a postdoc and later my own lab was among the first to show commonalities in septins from animals and fungi. My group discovered the first noncore septin, the prototype for many septins not found in budding yeast or animals. Recently my lab has focused on evolution of the septins and interactions among septins.
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Basic biology and antifungal resistance in the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Momany lab was one of the first groups to characterize early development in A. fumigatus. Recently the lab has focused on understanding dormancy and germination of A. fumigatus spores and on antifungal-resistant A. fumigatus in the environment.
Brandi Celia
Plant Biology Ph.D. Candidate
ILS Matriculate, 2018
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I joined the Momany lab in 2018. I am an NSF Interdisciplinary Disease Ecology Across Scales (IDEAS) trainee. I am a part of UGA’s Fungal Group and a member of the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID). My research focuses on the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. More specifically, I study mechanisms of resistance to azole drugs, lipid homeostasis, and the evolution of Cyp51, the main protein responsible for azole drug resistance in many fungi.
Brent Shuman
Plant Biology Ph.D. Candidate
ILS Matriculate, 2018
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I started my Ph.D. in the Momany Lab in 2018 after receiving my bachelor's degree in biology from Winthrop University. I am an active member of UGA's Fungal Group. My research interest is in how cytoskeletal proteins interact to enable filamentous fungal growth. My current project focuses on how septins are involved in lateral branching in Aspergillus nidulans.
Justina Stanislaw
Plant Biology Ph.D. Student
ILS Matriculate, 2020
I became a member of the Momany lab in 2020. I am currently the secretary of the Mycology Student Organization and a member of the UGA fungal group. My research aims to understand the development of Aspergillus fumigatus, specifically investigating the mechanisms of dormancy and germination of asexual spores.
