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Marcia David Palma

Research Associate, Senior
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Recent Publications


Genomic and phenotypic insights into the expanding phylogenetic landscape of the Cryptococcus genus.

Journal Article PLoS Genet · November 2025 The fungal genus Cryptococcus includes several life-threatening human pathogens as well as diverse saprobic species whose genome architecture, ecology, and evolutionary history remain less well characterized. Understanding how some lineages evolved into ma ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The complex evolution and genomic dynamics of mating-type loci in Cryptococcus and Kwoniella.

Journal Article PLoS Biol · October 2025 Sexual reproduction in basidiomycete fungi is governed by MAT loci (P/R and HD), which exhibit remarkable evolutionary plasticity, characterized by expansions, rearrangements, and gene losses often associated with mating system transitions. The sister gene ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Impact of RNAi and unisexual reproduction on Cryptococcus evolution, drug resistance, and pathogenesis

ResearchSenior Research Associate · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 1997 - 2026

Malassezia and Candida auris: skin microbiome dysbiosis and de-regulation of cutaneous homeostasis

ResearchResearch Associate · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2023 - 2026

Structure, function, and evolution of the Cryptococcus MAT locus

ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2002 - 2025

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