B.S., 2013, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan
M.S., 2016, Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
Ph.D., 2021, Entomology, University of California, Riverside
I am an evolutionary ecologist with expertise in genomics, behavior, chemical ecology, and conservation. An appreciation for natural history and data science are pivotal components to my approach to science. I use a lot of natural history examples to bring students in to the excitement of the scientific process. I further use fun examples to help guide students into learning how to generate and test their own hypotheses. I also believe that reproducible data analyses and well-curated databases are essential for rigorous science, and I ensure that my students have these necessary skills. Specifically, I integrate the R programming language, version control using Github, and reproducible management techniques into all of my courses. Ultimately, it is my goal that students develop confidence in navigating the scientific process and data management techniques.
My research involves using molecular tools to address species conservation, with a focus on bumble bees. I often collaborate with interdisciplinary teams that include academic, government, and non-profit participants to advance our understanding of species evolution and ecology so that we can inform decisions that can better conserve species of conservation concern and the habitats that support them.
Fisher K, Guillen M, Dahankaur A, Yamanaka N, Woodard SH. (2025). BMC Genomics. Expression analyses of chemosensory genes provide insights into evolution of gustatory receptor genes in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens. 26(1).
Gustilo ES, Fisher K, Woodard SH. (2023). Parental care behaviour in bumble bee queens is tightly regulated by the number of helpers in incipient nests. In press for Animal Behaviour.
Costa CP, Leza M, Duennes MA, Fisher K, Vollaro A, Hur M, Kirkwood JS, Woodard SH. (2022). Pollen diet mediates how pesticide exposure impacts brain gene expression in nest-founding bumble bee queens. Science of the Total Environment 833: 155216. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155216.
Fisher K, Watrous KM, Richardson LL, Williams NM, Woodard SH. (2022b). A contemporary survey of bumble bee diversity across the state of California. Ecology and Evolution 12(3): e8505. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8505.
Fisher K, Sarro E, Miranda CK, Guillen BM, Woodard SH. Worker task organization in incipient bumble bee nests. (2022a). Journal of Animal Behaviour 185: 143-161. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.12.005.
Costa CP, Fisher K, Guillen BM, Bloch G, Yamanaka N, and Woodard SH. (2021) Care-giver identity impacts offspring development and performance in an annually social bumble bee. BMC Ecology and Evolution.
Costa CP, Duennes MA, Fisher K, Der JP, Watrous KM, Okamoto N, Yamanaka N, and Woodard SH. (2020) Transcriptome analysis reveals nutrition- and age-related patterns of gene expression in the fat body of pre-overwintering bumble bee queens. Molecular Ecology 29(4):720-737. DOI: 10.1111/mec.15361.
Fisher K, West M, Lomeli AM, Woodard SH and Purcell J. (2018) Are societies resilient? Challenges faced by social insects in a changing world. Insectes Sociaux: 1-9.
Vaidya C, Fisher K and Vandermeer J. (2018) Colony development and reproductive success of bumblebees in an urban gradient. Sustainability 10: 1936.
Fisher K, Gonthier D, Ennis K and I Perfecto. (2017) Floral resource availability from groundcover promotes bee abundance in coffee agroecosystems. Ecological Applications 27: 1815-1826.
Lu B, Bridges D, Yang Y, Fisher, K, Cheng A, Chang L, Meng Z, Lin J, Downes M, Yu R, Liddle C, Evans R and A Saltiel. (2014) Metabolic crosstalk: molecular links between glycogen and lipid metabolism in obesity. Diabetes.
Bridges D, Fisher K, Zolov SN, Xiong T, Inoki K, Weisman L, and AR Saltiel. (2012) Rab5 proteins regulate activation and localization of target of rapamycin complex 1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287.