Nidamangala Srinivasa, who is now conducting her postdoctoral research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was recognized for her research on a group of unusual genes known as "selfish" genes, which can bend the rules of inheritance to increase their chances of being passed to the next generation. Studying these genes in yeast, she discovered how they evolve and identified previously unknown ways they can interfere with reproduction. Her findings suggest that similar genes found throughout nature could contribute to hidden forms of infertility that are difficult to detect, offering new insights into how fertility can be shaped by genetic conflicts occurring behind the scenes.

“Winning this award is special to me because it is in honor of Camila and Pablo,” said Nidamangala Srinivasa. “The Stowers Institute fosters such innovative scientific approaches and offers a sense of community, which together helps the scientist and the science thrive.”

During the award presentation, Zanders highlighted Nidamangala Srinivasa’s unique combination of scientific creativity, communication skills, and collaborative spirit. “This paper contained genetic analysis of about 30 different alleles, and it could have been quite confusing,” said Zanders. “But Ananya is an artist and used her skills to craft beautiful figures that illustrated the nature of all those alleles and what their phenotypes revealed.”

Zanders also noted that Nidamangala Srinivasa’s success was strengthened by collaborations across the Institute and her ability to bring together ideas and expertise from multiple teams to advance the project.

Learn more about the Graduate School of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research here.