Bio

Claire Willing (she/her) is an assistant professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington. She completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University, earned her doctorate in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and received her undergraduate degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles. Outside of the lab and field, she enjoys playing soccer, backpacking, hiking, mushroom foraging, exploring the Pacific Northwest and traveling.

Claire’s research explores how mycorrhizal fungi — fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of many plants — and other microbial symbionts respond to disturbance, and how these belowground communities influence plant regeneration and resilience following fire, drought and other climate-driven events. Combining field experiments, molecular tools, and ecological modeling, her work seeks to uncover the mechanisms that drive plant–fungal responses to environmental stress and to inform forest management and restoration strategies under a changing climate.

Learn about Claire’s research project