Anchalya is an incoming Ph.D. student in the Cells and Systems Biology program at the University of Toronto, working with Dr. Ingo Ensminger. Anchalya earned her B.Sc. in Ontario Tech University’s Biological Science program, specializing in Life Sciences, in 2019. She then completed her M.Sc. at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Integrative Biology graduate program in the summer of 2021. At Laurier, under the supervision of Dr. Allison McDonald, Anchalya completed her research thesis on the bioinformatic analysis of the biosynthesis of carotenoids in the copepod Tigriopus californicus. During her undergrad and masters, Anchalya spent her free time exploring natural parks and botanical gardens in Waterloo and Durham region, which ignited her passion for plant biology. In the Ensminger Lab, her research entails studying the molecular regulatory processes utilized for sustained non-photochemical quenching in conifers with the goal of further understanding growth and resilience of trees to the challenges of global environmental change. Outside of her research, Anchalya escapes from the stress of everyday life by either shopping, trying out new restaurants, or going on hikes with friends and family.