Alexander Bradshaw is a mycologist with experience in microbiology, including work with bacterial and fungal specimens. He values biodiversity in all forms but has a strong passion for Fungi. His past and current research has primarily focused on systematics and evolution of the genus of “Magic mushrooms” Psilocybe, which produce psychoactive compounds with high therapeutic potential for the treatment of myriad mental health issues. However, more broadly, Alex is interested in exploring the complexity and evolution of fungal secondary metabolites, which have been utilized by humans throughout history for food, medicine, and in reclaiming polluted environments. Embracing the breadth of biological and chemical diversity that Fungi exhibit is paramount to understanding their role in nature, how they shape the environment around them, and how they influence the organisms they interact with.
Another unexplored realm of mycology is the functional development of morphology, such as how a mushroom is produced. For his post-doctoral research, Alex is working in the lab of Dr. David Hibbett and Dr. Javier Tabima, where he is studying the systematics, functional genetics, and population structures of the gilled, and sometimes secotioid, polypore mushroom, Lentinus tigrinus.
