The order Cantharellales contains approximately 1,000 species with a diversity of nutritional modes, including free-living saprobes, agricultural plant pathogens, biotrophic root endosymbionts, and lichenized and lichenicolous forms. Utilizing multi-locus data from approximately 300 specimens and cultures, I generated the first densely-sampled Cantharellales phylogeny to investigate the origin and evolution of nutritional mode and fruiting body form in the order.

Additionally, I have worked on species delimitation and taxonomy of various genera within the Cantharellales by generating and analyzing morphological, ecological, and molecular phylogenetic data from modern and historical collections. Two groups of particular interest are Hydnum and Cantharellus, both economically important genera of wild edible mushrooms.