Yusra holds a BSc (Hons) in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology from the University of the Western Cape and is currently under examination for her MSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Cape Town.

Yusra's honours research project focused on the identification of lion's mane jellyfish specimens using both morphological and molecular analyses. The project fuelled Yusra's interest in research and led her to decide to pursue a master's degree. Giving a presentation on corvids as part of a course module in her honours year increased her interest in birds. Having spent time at the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, she developed a deeper love for nature, and her volunteer work as a lab assistant and participation in community programmes reflected her passion for having a positive impact on society. In 2023, Yusra was awarded a scholarship from the Joan Wrench Kirstenbosch Scholarship Fund through SANBI to pursue a master's degree at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. For her thesis, she focused on the native invader Pied Crow, examining the drivers of the species' expansion in the Western Cape fynbos using citizen science data from the South African Bird Atlas Project 2. She also explored the way in which powerlines facilitate Pied Crow expansion – especially in areas where they were historically scarce – and the negative impacts of Pied Crows on Angulate Tortoises.

After submitting her MSc thesis in early 2026, she started an internship at Holland and Associates Environmental Consultants, where she assisted with the compiling of avifaunal specialist reports. Yusra re-joined the FitzPatrick Institute in July 2026 as a Research Assistant for SAFRING, where she will assist with data requests and uploads, as well as the generation of scientific publications from the SAFRING database.