Melania Fernández is the Head of Research of Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica, where she teaches courses on Scientific Drawing, Orchidology, Agriculture Botany and General Botany. Her work focuses on the roles of endophytic fungi in coexistence and distribution of epiphytic orchids. She also applies morphological, ecological, molecular and biogeographical tools to assess the identity, distribution, systematic and phylogenetic relationships in members of Orchidaceae.