Professional Preparation
Academia Sinica, Biodiversity Research Center, Taiwan, Assistant Research Fellow, 2019 Dec - Now
University of Florida, NFREC, USA, Postdoctoral Researcher, 2017 -2019
Duke University, Biology Department, USA, PhD, 2017
National Taiwan University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Taiwan, M. Sc., 2010
National Taiwan Normal University, Life Science Department, Taiwan, B. Sc., 2008
Professional Appointment
2016 & 2017 Research assistant (NSF GoLife), Duke University
2012 & 2016 Teaching assistant and lab lecturer (Molecular Biology, BIO201L), Duke University
2014 & 2015 Teaching assistant and lecturer (Mycology, BIO540), Duke University
2015 Spring Teaching assistant (Microbial Ecology, BIO557), Duke University
2013 & 2014 Teaching assistant and lab lecturer (Genetics and Evolution, BIO202L), Duke University
2008 Teaching assistant (General Botany), National Taiwan University
Selected Awards and Grants
2021-2022 coPI, MOST undergraduate research fund to Qiao-Yi Xie. 探討帶狀瓶爾小草根部與地下配子體之真菌群集多樣性及功能性組成.
2022-2023 PI, MOST-FNRS #110 -2927-I-001 -509 bilateral fund. Elucidating the ecological role of lichen and bryophyte microbiomes in Montane Cloud Forests of Taiwan.
2020-2023 PI, MOST #109-2621-B-001 -006 -MY3. "Identifying the Sphagnum microbiome across altitudinal and host differences in Taiwan". (NTD: 3,600,000)
2018 co-PI, DOE Joint Genome Institute Community Science Program #19504376. “Genetic, community, and ecosystem consequences of co-introduction of mycorrhizal fungi with exotic pines” PI: Hui-Ling Liao
2018 co-PI, Florida Cattle Enhancement Board’s Grant. “Presence of grass endophytes and mycotoxins in Florid pastures” (USD 52,000) PI: Ann Blount
2017 co-PI, NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant #DEB-1701836. “Assessing the importance of trophic lability for fungal endophytism using the moss Dicranum scoparium and its associated fungi" (USD 19,517) PI: François Lutzoni
2015 Graduate Fellowship, Mycological Society of America (USD 2,000)
Environmental Microbiology
The ISME Journal
Mycological Progress
Scientific Reports
Polar Biology
Fungal Ecology
Journal of Microbiology
Frontier in Microbiology
Journal of Fungi
New Phytologist
Microbiology Spectrum
Microbial Ecology
Forest Ecology and Management
Reviewer service
University Service
2020-present Instructor of TIGP Biodiversity Seminar Class (Academia Sinica)
2020-present Instructor of TIGP Biodiversity Population Genetics and Evolution (Academia Sinica)
2016 Invited lecturer for Mycology course, Duke University.
2014-2016 Seminar coordinator for Duke University Systematics Discussion Group and Seminar series.
2015 Invited lecturer for Microbiome Analysis Workshop, Microbiome module, University Program of Genetics and Genomics, Duke University.
2010 Symposium organizer. National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University joint symposium on Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Taipei, Taiwan.
Invited Presentations (selected)
-Ko-Hsuan Chen. 2019. Plant-fungal symbiosis and their potential impacts on terrestrial biogeochemistry. Brookhaven National Lab, NSLS-II Lunchtime seminar, Upton, NY, USA.
-Ko-Hsuan Chen. 2019. Functional ecology of plant-associated fungi. Departmental Seminar. Biology Department College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.
-Ko-Hsuan Chen. 2018. Functional ecology of moss associated fungi - linking environmental and experimental re- synthesis metatranscriptomics, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
-Ko-Hsuan Chen. 2018. Functional ecology of moss associated fungi - linking environmental and experimenta re-synthesis metatranscriptomics. Seminar, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University. New South Wales, Australia.
-Ko-Hsuan Chen, Hui-Ling Liao, Hailee B. Korotkin, P. Brandon Matheny, François Lutzoni. 2017. Functional ecology of mycobiome shifts associated with plant senescence - linking environmental and experimental re-synthesis metatranscriptomics. The XIX International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen, China.
-Ko-Hsuan Chen, Hui-Ling Liao, A. Elizabeth Arnold, François Lutzoni. 2016. Metatranscriptomic analysis of the moss Dicranum scoparium reveals active fungal communities and functionalities across a senescence gradient. Botany conference. Savannah, GA, USA.