Claire Willing

  • Assistant Professor
  • Visit Claire's website

    • Claire Willing

    • Assistant Professor

    Research areas

    Dr. Claire Willing (she/her) is an ecologist with a particular interest in microbial ecology, plant ecology, and plant physiological ecology. Her research uses molecular tools, ecological theory, and techniques in plant physiological ecology and stable isotope ecology to better understand patterns of plant-associated microbial diversity and functional consequences for plant hosts and plant communities in a changing climate. Her lab’s research is primarily focused on plant-fungal interactions, especially those between plant roots and root-associated mutualistic mycorrhizal fungi.

    Dr. Willing completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley where she worked with Drs. Todd Dawson and Tom Bruns. She then completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University in the Department of Biology with Dr. Kabir Peay.

    • B.A., Biology, Occidental College
    • Ph.D. Environment Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley

    Autumn 2026-27 Admissions: Please reach out to Professor Willing to inquire about their ability to admit new students.

    Courses

    • ESRM 490 | Fungal Ecology & Biology () - Fall
    • SEFS 550 | Change Ecology and Adaptation (2) - Winter
    • ESRM 201 | Sustaining Pacific Northwest Ecosystems (5) - Spring

    Selected publications

    Willing, C. E., Pellitier, P. T., Van Nuland, M. E., Alvarez-Manjarrez, J., Berrios, L., Chin, K. N., Villa, L. M., Yeam, J. J., Bourque, S. D., Tripp, W., Leshyk, V. O., & Peay, K. G. (2024). A risk assessment framework for the future of forest microbiomes in a changing climate. Nature Climate Change, 14(5), 448–461.

    Berrios, L., Venturini, A. M., Ansell, T. B., Tok, E., Johnson, W., Willing, C. E., & Peay, K. G. (2024). Co-inoculations of bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi often drive additive plant growth responses. ISME Communications, 4(1), ycae104.

    Dudney, J., Latimer, A. M., van Mantgem, P., Zald, H., Willing, C. E., Nesmith, J. C. B., Cribbs, J., & Milano, E. (2023). The energy‐water limitation threshold explains divergent drought responses in tree growth, needle length, and stable isotope ratios. Global Change Biology, 29(12), 3779–3790.

    Willing, C. E., Pierroz, G., Guzman, A., Anderegg, L. D. L., Gao, C., Coleman-Derr, D., Taylor, J. W., Bruns, T. D., & Dawson, T. E. (2021). Keep your friends close: Host compartmentalisation of microbial communities facilitates decoupling from effects of habitat fragmentation. Ecology Letters, 24(12), 2674–2686.

    Dudney, J., Willing, C. E., Das, A. J., Latimer, A. M., Nesmith, J. C. B., & Battles, J. J. (2021). Nonlinear shifts in infectious rust disease due to climate change. Nature Communications, 12(1), 5102.

    Willing, C. E., Pierroz, G., Coleman-Derr, D., & Dawson, T. E. (2020). The generalizability of water-deficit on bacterial community composition; site-specific water-availability predicts the bacterial community associated with coast redwood roots. Molecular Ecology, 29(23), 4721–4734.