Laura Figueroa

Dr. Laura Figueroa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on conservation ecology and entomology, particularly the impacts of environmental stressors on pollinator health and the effectiveness of conservation strategies. She employs innovative bioacoustics methods and machine learning to non-lethally monitor pollinators across diverse ecosystems, including temperate forests, tropical regions, agroecosystems, and urban areas.

Her work bridges field experiments and theoretical models to address critical questions about pollinator resilience, pathogen dynamics, and the ecological consequences of habitat fragmentation. Key research themes include:

• Assessment of pesticide exposure pathways in honey bees
• Microbiome adaptations in vulture bees enabling dietary specialization
• Development of clean stock certification programs for commercial bumble bees
• Climate change effects on invertebrate communities and decomposition processes

Dr. Figueroa leads the Figueroa Lab, emphasizing ethical ecological practices that minimize harm to study organisms. The lab actively engages in community outreach to promote evidence-based conservation strategies. Her NSF-funded postdoctoral work investigated wild bee adaptation to human-altered landscapes. While no formal advisees are listed, her lab supports interdisciplinary training opportunities for students in conservation science.