Microbial Communities in the Leaves Around Us

Dr Naupaka Zimmerman

Associate Professor, University of San Francisco

Dr Naupaka Zimmerman is an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the MS Biology Program at the University of San Francisco. His research explores microbial ecology, with a focus on the communities of fungi that live inside plant leaves without causing disease, known as endophytes. His work investigates how environmental conditions, host species, and geography influence the diversity and function of these microbes.

Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, Dr Zimmerman has studied the microbial ecology of native Hawaiian plants, particularly Metrosideros polymorpha. At USF, his lab also works on plant–microbe interactions in urban environments and sustainable farms, including research across San Francisco and at Star Route Farms in Marin County. His team uses fieldwork, microscopy, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics to understand how plant-associated microbes contribute to ecosystem processes such as decomposition, plant health, and resilience to pathogens.