Justin Boyles, a postdoctoral research associate in the department of ecology, was interviewed by the News Sentinel’s Morgan Simmons about his groundbreaking research into white nose syndrome. Researchers have long suspected the fungus Geomyces destructans to be the culprit behind the deadly disease, based on the connection between the fungus and the telltale skin lesions found on infected bats. Still, the causal link between the fungus and the disease has remained controversial until a recent joint study conducted by UT, the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center and the University of Wisconsin.