Real life zombies and where to find them

While zombie movies are firmly based in a realm of make-believe, sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction. The fungal pathogen Ophiocordyceps is a microbe that is able to infect and manipulate the behavior of their insects hosts, making them a real-life example of zombies as portrayed in movies like I am Legend and 28 Days Later. Join us to learn more about how these microscopic fungi zombify their hosts, and where you can find them in the wild!

William Beckerson, Ph.D.
(he/him/his)

Dr. Beckerson is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Central Florida. He earned his Master and PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Louisville, Program on Disease Evolution. He has two lines of research: one to understand how certain pathogens manipulate the behavior of insects and the other to identify best teaching practices for biology classrooms. He is also passionate about outreach and community science.
Follow the work of William and his colleagues on twitter @WilliaMycete and @theZombieFungusForay, and on TikTok @aBitofBiology and @theZombieFungusForay