International Mycology Leaders Conference

This year’s Fungi Feastival is proud to welcome internationally renowned scientists who are also featured speakers at the International Congress of Mycology 2026 being held later this year in Cairns. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from researchers shaping the global understanding of fungi and their role in our world.

A sample of those expected to attend:

• From Chile, Patricia Silva-Flores explores the extraordinary and often overlooked fungal diversity of South American ecosystems. Her work reveals a “hidden world” of species critical to forest health and biodiversity.

• From the United States, Bala Chaudhary studies soil fungi and the invisible networks that regulate carbon cycling and ecosystem resilience. Her research helps explain how fungi underpin life on Earth, especially in a changing climate.

• Also from the United States, Alison Bennett investigates the powerful partnerships between plants and microbes. Her work on the rhizosphere is transforming how we think about sustainable agriculture and…