QB3-Berkeley is thrilled to share that Usha Lingappa, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Sabeeha Merchant, a QB3-Berkeley faculty affiliate, has been awarded a Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science. This highly competitive international fellowship supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers pursuing unconventional and socially relevant science.
Lingappa will receive up to CHF 600,000 over five years to advance her independent research project, Algal contributions to soil carbon cycling, hosted by the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Her selection highlights the project’s originality, cross-disciplinary scope, and potential for societal impact.
Out of 529 applicants worldwide, only eight fellowships were awarded in 2025.
Learn more about the Branco Weiss Fellowship.