Anne Leonard

Anne Leonard is a Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She holds a B.A. in Biology from Brown University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Behavior from UC Davis, and postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Arizona and University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focuses on plant-pollinator interactions, bee cognition, and the impacts of pesticides on pollinators, supported by NSF and USDA grants. She leads the Leonard Lab and teaches courses on sensory systems and science communication.

Research interests include understanding how bees evaluate floral resources, the role of nectar and pollen nutrition, and how human activities like pesticide exposure disrupt pollinator behaviors. Recent work explores octopamine’s role in bee learning and the effects of fungicides/insecticides on pollinator ecosystems.

• Awards: Darwin Fellowship, NIH PERT Postdoctoral Fellowship, L’Oreal USA/AAAS Fellowship
• Labs/Teams: Leonard Lab (UNR)
• Grants: NSF and USDA funding for pollinator studies

Publications span over 50 articles in journals like Current Biology, PNAS, and Scientific Reports, emphasizing the intersection of ecology, behavior, and conservation.