Postdoc Anusha Bishop Named Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellow
Bay Lab Researcher Will Study Gene Flow in Changing Oceans
Anusha Bishop, a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Associate Professor Rachael Bay, has been selected for a prestigious three-year fellowship from the Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF).
Bishop will conduct her fellowship research in the Bay Lab, where researchers use genomics to understand how organisms respond to changing environments. Her project builds on the lab’s work at the intersection of evolutionary biology, ecology and conservation, using genetic data to help predict how species may respond to environmental change.
Bishop is one of 33 early-career researchers in the foundation’s 2026 fellowship class—the largest in LSRF’s history—and one of three fellows conducting research at UC Davis. Her fellowship, sponsored by the Simon’s Foundation International, began Aug. 1.
The LSRF supports emerging scientific leaders undertaking innovative research in the life sciences. Fellows receive three years of funding to pursue ambitious projects addressing important unanswered questions across biology and human health.
Bishop’s project, “Predicting the Future of Gene Flow in a Changing Ocean,” examines how ecological processes shape genetic diversity and gene flow—the movement of genetic material between populations. By mapping and modeling these patterns in marine species, she aims to predict how ocean connectivity and genetic diversity may change as marine environments respond to climate change and other pressures.
Understanding these changes could help scientists identify populations that are particularly vulnerable or resilient and support conservation strategies that preserve the capacity of species to adapt. Working with Bay, Bishop will combine landscape genomics, ecological modeling and spatial analysis to investigate these questions.
Bishop earned her Ph.D. in environmental science, policy and management from UC Berkeley in 2026 and her B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Yale University in 2020. Her previous research has addressed questions involving species ranging from tsetse flies to Galápagos giant tortoises. She has also helped develop computational tools that allow researchers to model genetic and ecological processes across changing landscapes.
Bishop’s selection recognizes both her innovative research and the strength of the research environment provided by the Bay Lab. It also highlights the vital contributions postdoctoral scholars make to the university’s scientific community by advancing discovery, developing new methods, mentoring students and strengthening collaboration across laboratories and disciplines.
The presence of three UC Davis researchers in LSRF’s record-setting 2026 class further reflects the breadth and strength of the life sciences community across campus.