CV: Brianna Almeida
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Current Position
Feb 2023 - Present Tri Institutional Medical Mycology Training Program Postdoctoral Fellow at North Carolina State University: Hawkes Lab
Education
2017-2023 University of Miami, PhD in Biology, Afkhami Lab
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2017 Florida International University, Bachelors in Biology with Honors Thesis
Publications and Government Reports
Almeida, B.K., Cline E. Sklar F., and Afkhami M.E. “Hydrology shapes microbial communities and microbiome-mediated growth of an Everglades tree island species” Restoration Ecology (2022) e13677
Almeida, B.K., Ross M.S., Stoffella S.L., Sah J.P., Cline E., Sklar F., and Afkhami M.E. "Diversity and Structure of Soil Fungal Communities across Experimental Everglades Tree Islands." Diversity 12, no. 9 (2020): 324.
Afkhami M.E. , Almeida B.K. , Hernandez D.J., Kiesewetter K.N., and Revillini D.P. *** "Tripartite mutualisms as models for understanding plant–microbial interactions." Current Opinion in Plant Biology 56 (2020): 28-36. ***All authors contributed equally.
Almeida, B. K. Garg M., Kubat M. , and Afkhami M.E. "Not that kind of tree: Assessing the potential for decision tree–based plant identification using trait databases." Applications in Plant Sciences 8, no. 7 (2020): e11379.
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Almeida, B.K., M.S. Ross, S.L. Stoffella, J.P. Sah, E. Cline, F. Sklar, and M.E. Afkhami (2020) Ecosystem Ecology: Diversity and structure of soil fungal communities across experimental Everglades tree islands. In Chapter 6: Everglades Research and Evaluation of The South Florida Environmental Report. ‡
‡Produced by South Florida Water Management District; blind reviewed by subject matter expert.
Hernandez, D.J., Kiesewetter K.N., Almeida B.K., Revillini D., Afkhami M.E. (Complete Manuscript) “Bifurcating trajectories: multidimensional specialization vs multidimensional generalization” Ecology and Evolution of Multi-Axis Specialization and Generalization.” Target Journal: Nature (Submitted to Nature)
Almeida, B.K., Tran E. and Afkhami M.E. (Complete Manuscript) “Foliar fungal diversity effects on host plant performance.” Target Journal: Ecology (Submission expected in August)
Honors, Awards, and Grants
2022 Ecological Society of America Microbial Ecology Section Travel Award ($500)
2022 University of Miami Fellowship ($50,000 over 2 years)
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2022 MSA John Taylor Best Student Oral Presentation Award- $200
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2022 ESA Soil Ecology Section Logo Design Winner
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2021 University of Miami Biology Department Kushlan Graduate Research Support Fund- $1350
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2020 Health and Life Science Best Poster Award from the University of Miami Graduate-Postdoctoral Research Symposium- $250
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2019-2022 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship ($138,000 over 3 years)
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2019 University of Miami Biology Department Interdisciplinary and Innovative Research Fund- $250
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2017- 2019 McKnight Doctoral Fellowship ($51,000 over 3 year)
Conference Attendance
2022 Ecological Society of America Conference (oral presentation) “Foliar fungal diversity effects on host plant performance”
2022 Mycological Society of America: Mycology in the Swamp (oral presentation) “Foliar fungal diversity effects on host plant performance”
2022 University of Miami Graduate-Postdoctoral Research Symposium (oral presentation) “Foliar fungal diversity effects on host plant performance”
2022 13th annual University of Miami Department of Biology Graduate Student Symposium (poster presentation) “Foliar fungal diversity effects on host plant performance”
2021 12th annual University of Miami Department of Biology Graduate Student Symposium (oral presentation) “Diversity and structure of soil fungal communities across experimental Everglades tree islands”
2020 Mycological Society of America Virtual Conference (poster presentation) “Diversity and structure of soil fungal communities across experimental Everglades tree islands”
2020 University of Miami Graduate-Postdoctoral Research Symposium (poster presentation) “Understanding what structures the fungal soil communities across tree islands”
2020 11th annual University of Miami Department of Biology Graduate Student Symposium (poster presentation) “Understanding what structures the fungal soil communities across tree islands”
2019 Ecological Society of America (oral presentation) “Soil Microbial Effects on Germination and Growth of Tree Island Species”
2019 10th annual University of Miami Department of Biology Graduate Student Symposium (poster presentation) “Soil Microbial Effects on Germination of Two Tree Island Species”
2018 Pine Rockland and Tropical Botany Conference (poster presentation) “Soil Microbial Effects on Germination of Two Tree Island Species”
2018 Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference (poster presentation) “Soil Microbial Effects on Germination of Two Tree Island Species”
2017 9th annual University of Miami Department of Biology Graduate Student Symposium (poster presentation) “Comparison of Navel and Laminar Stomata Morphology and Stomatal Conductance in Nymphaea odorata”
Service
2022 Reviewer for Microbial Ecology Journal
2022 Judge for Poster Session of University of Miami Research Creativity and Innovation Forum
2020-2021 Tropical Audubon Society: Monthly Invasive plant removal from Pine Rockland remnant habitat
2020-2021 Fairchild Botanical Garden’s Fairchild Challenge Volunteer for: (1) Green Treasures Program, (2) Connect to Protect Network Recruitment
2019-2020 Fairchild Botanical Garden’s Fairchild Challenge Volunteer: (1) Rare Plants, (2) Growing Beyond Earth Sessions, and (3) Shade our Schools Programs
2019 BioReach volunteer: Assisted with campus outreach program bringing K-8 students to UM for hands on science experiences
2019 UConnect Women in Stem Panelist
2018 Moderator for Pine Rockland and Tropical Botany Conference
2018 BioReach Volunteer Coordinator: Recruited and organized volunteers to help lead hands on scientific learning experiences for K-8 students at UM
2018 Skype a Scientist Program
Mentorship
Undergraduate Mentees
2021-2021 Kamran Djahed
2020-2021 Elan Tran
2020-2020 Alex Cassias
2019-2020 Talia Lall
2018-2019 Jordan Orias
2018 Kino Maravillas
2018 Kalam Nguyen