NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Hayley Lanier, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma and associate curator of mammalogy at the Sam Noble Museum, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct evolutionary genomics research in the Czech Republic during the 2025–2026 academic year.
Lanier is among 400 scholars selected nationwide for the prestigious international award. The Fulbright Scholars program aims to promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and those from other nations. Candidates are chosen based on their academic achievements and the strength of their proposed project.
“We are proud to congratulate Dr. Lanier on being chosen as a Fulbright Scholar,” said OU Senior Vice Provost André-Denis Wright. “This fellowship is a prestigious recognition of the transformative research and academic excellence taking place at OU, and we eagerly anticipate the discoveries and impact Dr. Lanier will make during her time abroad.”
Lanier will collaborate with researchers at the Czech Academy of Sciences, deepening a partnership with scientists whose work closely aligns with her own. They will research how animal populations adapt or fail to adapt to pressures such as climate change and habitat shifts, using genomic tools to guide conservation efforts.
“We are working on evolutionary genomics, studying how populations evolve and change under various pressures like climate and landscape, which influence their genetic variation,” Lanier said. “I approach this from a biodiversity conservation perspective, focusing on predicting which populations can adapt or are more vulnerable to change. Developing new techniques for these predictions is vital for guiding our efforts effectively.”
Lanier’s lab at OU is centered on building a synthetic understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive evolution along geographic and climatic gradients over time. Her research integrates population genetics, phylogeography, phylogenetics and morphology to address core questions about the distribution and maintenance of biodiversity.
Lanier and her family will move to Prague in August for a yearlong fellowship, supporting cultural exchange between OU and Czech research communities, including potential student opportunities.
“I am tremendously excited,” Lanier said. “It is such a wonderful opportunity to strengthen these connections with people doing interesting, related research. I’m eager to bring back new tools and techniques for genomic data and help create more pathways for collaboration, including a potential postdoc opportunity for one of my Ph.D. students.”
Her Fulbright experience will also contribute to broader conversations about equity in science. Lanier, who has two young children, says that her Czech colleagues are committed to increasing the number of women in science and creating supportive models for balancing family responsibilities with research careers.
The Fulbright Scholar Award, one of the most esteemed fellowships in academia, promotes international collaboration through research and teaching. Fulbright alumni have received 63 Nobel Prizes, 98 Pulitzer Prizes and 82 MacArthur Fellowships and include thousands of global leaders in academia, government, business and the nonprofit sector.
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