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.