Dr. Filipa Cox

Biography

Filipa Cox is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, specializing in the ecology of fungi and the structural processes of communities over varying spatial scales. Her research emphasizes the critical roles that these organisms play in cycling carbon, nutrients, and other elements in the environment. Her work primarily focuses on a key group of mutualistic fungi that inhabit the roots of plants, notably mycorrhizal fungi, which are directly involved in cycling nitrogen and carbon between plants and soil. This research plays a vital role in understanding plant growth and belowground carbon storage. Utilizing a variety of experimental techniques, including isotopic tracers, Filipa examines the exchange of resources within plant-fungal partnerships and how global changes, such as increased nitrogen availability, affect these exchanges. Her overarching goal is to comprehend how environmental change alters the dynamics of mutualism at ecosystem scales, particularly concerning carbon cycling and nitrogen acquisition. Filipa’s expertise aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the context of biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Research Interests