Lauren Ponisio

Lauren Ponisio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Oregon and Principal Investigator at The Institute of Ecology and Evolution. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which species interactions maintain biodiversity, with particular emphasis on pollinators in both natural and human-modified landscapes. She investigates how agricultural practices, forest management, and climate change affect pollinator communities, especially bees.

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley
• M.S. in Biology, Stanford University
• B.S. in Biology with honors in Ecology and Evolution, Stanford University

Ponisio's research spans community ecology, conservation biology, and data science, examining how species interactions maintain diversity and how these processes can be harnessed to restore biodiversity in human-modified systems. She combines field studies, mathematical modeling, and data science approaches to understand pollinator community dynamics. Her work particularly focuses on how native bees can survive intensive agricultural practices and changing environmental conditions, with research sites ranging from California's Central Valley to Pacific Northwest forests.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on pollinator conservation in agricultural and post-fire landscapes, examining how habitat management affects bee diversity and health. She investigates critical habitat thresholds, floral resource enhancements, and the complex relationships between land use practices and pollinator communities, with particular attention to practical applications for farmers and land managers.

• National Geographic Society Early Career Award
• Global Food Initiative 30 Under 30 in Food Systems
• Moore/Sloan Data Science Postdoctoral Fellowship
• National Institute for Food and Agriculture Fellowship
• NSF Graduate Fellowship
• Berkeley Institute for Data Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

Ponisio actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in her lab, providing research opportunities in field ecology and data science. She has secured significant grant funding, including from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, supporting her work on bee health. Her lab collaborates with farmers, timber industry representatives, and conservation organizations to implement practical solutions for pollinator conservation, particularly focusing on how to design agricultural systems that better support both humans and wildlife.

The Ponisio Lab combines field-based research with modeling and data science to understand community ecology and pollinator conservation. The lab is actively involved in several major projects including studying pollinators in burned forestlands (White Water Ranch Pollinator Enhancement Study), examining bee health in California almond orchards, and developing strategies to enhance floral resources for pollinators in harvested conifer forests. The lab also emphasizes reproducible science and open data practices, and actively promotes diversity and inclusivity in the sciences, with particular focus on supporting women and other underrepresented groups.