About me

Lisa Baik, PhD

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on earth. My life-long mission is to ‘fight the bite’ and to prevent the spread of deadly pathogens.

I am a neurobiologist interested in studying the mechanism by which blood-feeding arthropods guide their complex behaviors.

I am an incoming assistant professor at UC Davis. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of John Carlson at the Yale University. I obtained my PhD in Dr. Todd Holmes' lab at UC Irvine.

My current research is supported by the K99/R00 Fellowship from NIH/NIDCD to investigate the taste system of the highly invasive and dangerous Asian Tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus).

My favorite part of being a scientist is mentoring the next generation of scientists and sharing my passion for science.

…And yes, that picture above is of a female Asian Tiger mosquito who is has just finished feasting on my arm!

Honors & Awards

  • Yale Postdoc Mentoring Award | 2023

  • Keystone Symposia Scholarship, Vector Biology Meeting | 2023

  • Konopka Excellence Award, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms | 2018

  • Best Poster Award, UCSD Center for Circadian Biology Symposium | 2016

  • Merit Award, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms | 2016

  • Travel Award, UC Irvine School of Medicine | 2016, 2017

  • Most Outstanding Student of the Year, UC Irvine Department of Physiology & Biophysics | 2016

  • Graduate Dean Recruitment Fellowship, UC Irvine | 2013

  • Volunteer Supervisor Award, UC Davis MIND Institute | 2013

Grants & Fellowships

  • NIH/NIDCD K99/R00 | 2023-current

  • NIH/NIDCD F32 | 2020-2023

  • UCI Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship | 2018-2019

  • NSF GRFP | 2015-2018

  • ARCS Foundation Scholar Award | 2015-2017