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Karl J. Duffy
I am an Associate Professor in Environmental and Applied Botany at the Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II. I am a plant population ecologist interested in understanding the geographical context of how mutualists influence plant fitness.
Brief bio
I completed my PhD with Jane C. Stout at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where I worked on the reproductive biology and conservation of rare Irish orchids.
After my PhD, I moved to South Africa to work as a postdoctoral fellow with Steven D. Johnson at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, with a focus on understanding mechanisms underlying plant fecundity, and how pollinators influence plant species distributions.
I returned to Europe to work as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow with Hans Jacquemyn at KU Leuven, Belgium on the biogeography of belowground mutualists, orchid mycorrhizal fungi, and the influence of climate change on plant distributions.
I serve as an Associate Editor for:
I greatly value honest, rigorous peer review, as this is a basis for the advancement science. Therefore, I serve as a reviewer of approximately two papers per month for many international journals, including: American Journal of Botany, Annals of Botany, Ecology Letters, Evolution, Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Ecology, Molecular Ecology, Mycorrhiza, New Phytologist, Oikos, Oecologia, Plants People Planet, Proceedings B, and many more. I have acted as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous international funding agencies.
I am a member of the British Ecological Society and the British Mycological Society.
Teaching
My university webpage is here where students can register for my courses.
In addition to my ongoing research in plant ecology and biogeography, I enjoy teaching the following courses:
Botany (10 CFU/ECTS - 80 hours) - a general introduction to Botany, from plant cells to the immense variation in plant diversity. This course given to first-year students as part of the undergraduate degree programme in Biology with lectures given in the second semester [in Italian].
Algal Biology (6 CFU/ECTS - 48 hours) - an evolutionary journey into the world of aquatic photosynthetic organisms, through endosymbiosis. This course is a part of the international Masters degree program in Marine Biology and Aquaculture with lectures given in the first semester [in English].
Mycology and Lichenology (6 CFU/ECTS - 48 hours) - the incredible diversity of fungi and lichens, their ecology and evolution, and their rich symbiotic interactions with other organisms. This is an optional course as part of the undergraduate degree programme in Biology with lectures given in the first semester [in Italian].
Sara Pasciuto
PhD student, 2024 - present
Sara has an MSc degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Naples Federico II, where she investigated the population genetics of Epipactis orchids found in anthropomorphic habitats. For her PhD, Sara is working on understanding the ecological interactions among mycorrhizal fungi and how the outcomes of these interactions may influence plant fitness. She is particularly interested in culturing orchid mycorrhizal fungi and understanding the physiology and biogeography of Mediterranean mycorrhizal fungi.
Visiting PhD students
Yumna Nageen is PhD student based in Jana Jersáková's lab at the University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic. Yumna is working on the relationships between fungal specificity and soil characteristics on orchid seed germination and fitness.
Niki Pirovalaki is a PhD student based in John Halley's lab at the University of Ioannina, Greece. Niki is working on how mycorrhizal fungi and soil nutrients can explain the distribution of Mediterranean orchids.
MSc students
BSc students
Francesco Carnicelli, BSc intern, 2025 - present, working on fungi isolation and interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and orchid seed germination.
Kevin Romano, BSc intern, 2025 - present, working on fungal isolation and the use of fungi in filtration systems.
Giustina Caiazza BSc intern 2025 - present, working on mycorrhizal fungi and their interactions with higher plants.
Marco Civale, BSc thesis student, 2025 - present, working on marine fungi and their interactions with algae and vascular plants.
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