V. Kokkoris
Mycorrhizal fungi
our mission

Map, protect, and harness the mycorrhizal networks that regulate the Earth’s climate and ecosystems

Map the mycorrhizal fungal networks of planet earth

Advocate for the protection of underground ecosystems

Drive innovation in underground climate and biodiversity science

Principles

Scientific rigor

Advocate for change based
on rigorous science.

Open data

Make all data publicly
available and accessible.

Inclusive action

Build a diverse network of researchers
and local communities.

Core team

Toby Kiers

Dr. Toby Kiers

Executive Director & Chief Scientist

Toby Kiers is a Professor of Evolutionary Biology and University Research Chair at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her lab uses nanoprobes and high-resolution imaging to map the nutrient flows and architecture of plant-fungal networks. She is globally-recognized for her scientific work in the evolution of symbiotic trade, and her public outreach activities, including a 2019 Ted Talk. Kiers won an Ammodo Award in 2019 for “unfettered science,” and was awarded the E.O. Wilson Award for Natural History in 2021 and a Stairway to Impact Award from the Dutch Science Foundation in 2022. Kiers was named as one of the 22 Scientists playing a crucial role in expanding our understanding of biodiversity by the UN committee on biodiversity.

Adriana Corrales

Dr. Adriana Corrales

Expeditions Strategy & Planning Lead

Bethan Manley

Dr. Bethan Manley

Program Manager, Global Data Science

Clara Qin

Dr. Clara Qin

Postdoctoral Data Scientist

Daniela Soto Hernandez

Dr. Daniela Soto Hernandez

Diversity & Inclusion Advisor

David Womack

David Womack

Strategic Advisor

Jason Cremerius

Jason Cremerius

Managing Director & Board Advisor

Johan van den Hoogen

Dr. Johan van den Hoogen

Data Scientist

Jordan Young

Jordan Young

Design Lead

Justin Stewart

Justin Stewart

Data Scientist

Kelcie Walther

Kelcie Walther

​Communications Lead

Laura van Galen

Dr. Laura van Galen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Magda Czyz

Magda Czyz

Production Lead

Michael Van Nuland

Dr. Michael Van Nuland

Data Science Lead

Oleh Prylutskyi

Dr. Oleh Prylutskyi

Data Scientist

Qian Mei

Qian Mei

Program Operations Manager

Rachel Pringle

Rachel Pringle

Project Manager, Research & Operations

Steve Mendelsohn

Steve Mendelsohn

Director of Finance

Toby Kiers

Dr. Toby Kiers

Executive Director & Chief Scientist

Vasilis Kokkoris

Dr. Vasilis Kokkoris

Fungal Ecologist

Board of directors

Mark Tercek

Mark Tercek

Chair

Advisor to companies, startups, institutional investors, and NGOs

Jeremy Grantham

Jeremy Grantham

Co-founder and Chairman of GMO, LLC, and co-founder and director of The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment

Rose Marcario

Rose Marcario

Board Member, Advisor, and Former CEO of Patagonia, Inc.

Board of Advisors

Giuliana Furci

Giuliana Furci

Foundress and executive director of the Fungi Foundation

Jane Goodall, DBE

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace

Merlin Sheldrake

Dr. Merlin Sheldrake

Biologist and bestselling author of Entangled Life

Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan

Bestselling author and Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley

Paul Hawken

Paul Hawken

Founder of Projects Drawdown and Regeneration and best-selling author of Drawdown and Regeneration

Strategic Advisors

César Rodríguez-Garavito

Dr. César Rodríguez-Garavito

Professor of Clinical Law and Founding Director, More Than Human Rights (MOTH) Program, NYU School of Law

Dan Fitzgerald

Dan Fitzgerald

Founder and Managing Partner, ReGen Ventures

Lila Preston

Lila Preston

Partner and Head of Growth Equity at Generation Investment Management

Tzeporah Berman

Tzeporah Berman

International Program Director at Stand.earth and the Chair and Founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative

Science Advisors

Conservation Partners

FungiFoundation works to increase knowledge of fungal diversity,  promote innovative fungal solutions, design fungal curricula for schools, and recommend public policy for fungal conservation.

GlobalFungi provides access to published data on fungal community composition obtained bynext-generation sequencing through a web-based interface.

The Climate Adaptation & Resilience Laboratory of The Nature Conservancy is refining, amplifying, and accelerating the application of TNC’s nature-based solutions to reforestation in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and beyond.