lab members
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Eleanor M. Slade
I am an ecologist, whose research focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with conservation, management, and restoration of tropical forest landscapes and human-modified systems. I am particularly interested in “the little things that run the world”, and my research focuses on the links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with a particular emphasis on invertebrate diversity and community interactions.
Much of my research has focused on using dung beetles as model systems but I have worked on a range of taxa from moths and woodlice to hornbills and small mammals in both tropical (Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Belize, Brazil) and temperate (UK, Finland) environments. I am also interested in the development of policy and best practice in the oil palm industry and I am working with government agencies and NGOs engaged in land-use planning in Sabah, Malaysia. My favourite tea is Yorkshire Tea.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Nur Estya Binte Rahman
I am a research associate in the TEE lab and currently, I am assisting with lab work for the Brunei peat swamp project and the TEE lab. My research interests and expertise include plant molecular genetics, botany, tropical forest ecology and the ecophysiology of tropical forest tree species relative to changing climate and landscapes. Prior to joining TEE lab, I was involved in a project which explores the socio-ecological interactions of peatland restoration in Sumatra, Indonesia, where I studied the success and survivability of peat swamp forest tree species planted in tropical peatland restoration projects across Southeast Asia, and conducted burning lab experiments in the dark to assess leaf flammability of tropical swamp forest tree species and its coupling/decoupling to decomposition processes using plant functional traits. Before I joined ASE (NTU), I was working in a carbon stocks assessment project of the Nee Soon Swamp Forest in Singapore in NUS. I also participated in voluntary conservation efforts with NGOs since 2017, where I learned valuable and humbling insights on vegetation restoration and community involvement in conservation management.
Apart from research, I enjoy hiking and nature strolls with my daughter, reading medieval mystery/modernist fiction, and the occasional dips in onsens after arduous fieldwork days. For myself, chilled black oolong tea is a fitting treat for reading sojourns or after treading through swamps!
PROJECT OFFICER
Marx Yim
I am project officer for the Tropical Ecology and Entomology Lab (TEE Lab) at ASE. My work focuses on providing stakeholder in Southeast Asia with the capacity use of dung beetles as bioindicators for both academic research and citizen science. This work is done mainly through the creation and maintenance of specimen/ species-level dung beetle databases and datasets, digitising collections to create high-resolution keys and photographic guides, and supporting the various undergraduate and postgraduate studies out in the field and in the lab.
With an interest in science communication, I am keen on using photography and videography to realise the hidden value of personal experiences through documentation in scientific research. I am also interested in promoting collection based natural history biodiversity to raise awareness of the importance of biological collections towards scientific discoveries. My favourite tea is PG Tips.
Ng Wan Lin
I am a Project Officer for the Tee Lab at NTU ASE. I am a passionate individual with a background in environmental science. Before my current role, I dedicated my efforts to the agricultural sector, working closely with local vegetable farm licensees on food safety and regulation, as well as prevention and control of plant pests and diseases.
I have also worked with a variety of animals, from companion animals to fishes and crustaceans, and now to insects! My professional journey reflects my keen interest in stakeholder engagement, sustainability promotion, and raising awareness about environmental issues.
Outside of work, I find joy in outdoor activities such as hiking, and exploring Singapore. Another outlet for my creativity is painting. My artistic endeavors predominantly center around capturing the beauty of landscapes and scenery, but I also enjoy painting animals from time to time.
One of my favorite teas is Tie Guan Yin, especially 'Guan Yin King'.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Shen Cheah
I am a Research Assistant with the TEE Lab and am currently supporting the various researchers in the lab with both fieldwork and lab work, including biodiversity surveys, sample analyses, specimen curation and collection digitisation. I recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a focus on vertebrate zoology, and am excited to now discover the compelling diversity of the invertebrate world. I am deeply fascinated by anatomical diversity and functional traits grounded within a phylogenetic framework. The work on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning here at the TEE Lab, along with the curated collections, have been a fantastic avenue towards exploring my curiosity. I believe in the positive impact of science and take pride in contributing to efforts that guide conservation decisions and habitat restoration.
Outside of the lab, my interests include hiking, staring down wildlife, and learning various instruments. My favourite tea is teh halia (less sugar please).
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Chiew Li Yuen
I am a postdoc with the TEE Lab and the South East Asian Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) based in Sabah, Malaysia. I am co-ordinating research on riparian reserves in oil palm plantations and their benefits for biodiversity versus potential for spreading pests and diseases such as rhinoceros beetles and Ganoderma fungus.
I recently completed my PhD at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. My PhD research focused on how dung beetle–mammal interaction networks change across a land-use gradient in Sabah. In addition, I investigated dung beetle diet preferences based on chemical cues, and the consequences of biodiversity and land-use change for ecosystem processes and functionality such as dung removal, herbivore predation, seed predation, and bioturbation. My favourite tea is Sabah Tea.
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Sean Yap
I am research fellow with the TEE lab who has a keen interest in entomology and molecular ecology. I will be assisting with the taxonomy and inventorising of dung beetle species in Singapore, as well as studying the soil invertebrate fauna of peat swamps in Brunei using molecular tools.
I have a soft spot for lesser-studied insect groups such as earwigs and mantisflies, though most of my experience thus far has been with beetles. Prior to my current position, I graduated from NUS having done my honours thesis with the Evolutionary Biology Lab surveying the beetle diversity of Singapore with DNA barcoding and Next-generation Sequencing, and further examined the reproductive evolution of dung beetles in Singapore and Malaysia in the Reproductive Evolution Lab for my PhD.
When not baking outfield or shivering in the lab, I am usually found falling off the walls in a bouldering gym or falling on my butt rollerblading in a skatepark. I am also currently accepting challenges in Pokemon battles. My favourite tea is a toss up between chai tea, burmese tea and thai milk tea, though my most frequent order is teh O kosong.
Lam Weng Ngai
I am a postdoc working with both the TEE and ForestGEO labs. My research over the years has revolved around “bottom-up”, process-based ecology. I am interested in how consumer-resource interactions alter population demographics, community structure and ultimately ecosystem function, and how traits mediate such interactions at their most basic level. I am currently studying how invertebrates contribute to litter and wood decomposition, and how traits may mediate these processes.
I enjoy gardening and various kinds of sports in my free time. My favourite tea is matcha latte.
Friederike Gebert
I am a research fellow in invertebrate ecology with the TEE lab. Before joining here, I completed my PhD on dung beetles and mammals on Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany. Afterwards, I made an excursion to temperate ecology and worked as a postdoc at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL where I analysed data on temporal trends of aquatic and terrestrial insects in Switzerland. Now, I am excited to return to the tropical realm and to my favourite group of study organisms: dung beetles! I am especially interested in the factors determining dung beetle distributions, functional traits, dung beetle ecosystem service provisioning and their interplay with mammals. I am also very interested in tropical mountain ecology. I am looking forward to exciting projects to come, including dung beetle phylogeny and field work on Borneo!
In my free time, I am into hiking, digital art and playing table tennis. My favourite tea is chai latte.
Calebe P. Mendes
I am a research fellow in vertebrate ecology with the TEE Lab, deeply interested in how vertebrate communities interact with other ecosystem elements, such as invertebrates, plants, and pathogens. I am also interested in animal behavior, spatial ecology, statistics, and equipment development for scientific research.
I have worked in tropical, subtropical, and temperate forests, in Brazil, the USA, Malaysia, and Singapore. Currently, my aim is to investigate the cascading effects of African swine fever on multiple levels of Southeast Asian ecosystems.
When not working, I like fishing, rollerblading, and trying new things. My favorite tea is the Brazilian terere with lemonade.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Ong Xin Rui
I am a PhD candidate at NTU ASE. I was introduced to the fascinating world of dung beetles during my undergraduate years in NUS. For my PhD, I am studying the interaction network between dung beetle and mammal communities in the rainforest canopy, which will be constructed using a novel method of DNA metabarcoding of dung beetle gut contents for mammal DNA.
I will also assemble a database of distribution, traits and molecular barcodes of Southeast Asian dung beetles, which would help in overcoming the current taxonomic impediments of dung beetle research in the region.
In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, exploring places of nature, and jamming songs on the guitar. My favourite tea is bubble tea.
Tharaka S. Priyadarshana
I am a PhD candidate at NTU ASE. My primary research interest is agroecology. The main aim of my research interest is to identify economically attractive ways to boost agrobiodiversity. For my Master’s, I studied the responses of beneficial insect communities to crop heterogeneity components (crop composition and configuration) in subtropical farmlands.
I enjoy developing statistical models, using both biological and functional diversity metrics, that enhance forecasting capabilities. I am also passionate about the taxonomy and conservation of wild orchids.
Tabitha Hui
I enjoy applying research to resolve current environmental issues, thus my double life as both a researcher and consultant. At NTU, I am a PhD candidate in ASE. My research project is on the impacts of roads and wildlife crossings on small mammal community structure, movement, roadkills and population connectivity and genetics in Peninsular Malaysia.
As a Senior Environmental Consultant at Tembusu Asia Consulting, I advise on all kinds of environmental and sustainability issues, including conducting coastal, marine and terrestrial EIA, EIS, BIA, EMMP, ecological baseline and feasibility studies and due diligence projects.
When I am not doing the above I enjoy hiking, diving, flying and taking photos of Niviventers.
Calvin Leung
I’m a PhD candidate at NTU ASE. I’m born to like insects, particularly for beetles. I started learning about beetles by keeping exotic rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles as pets, but as I witnessed how unsustainable the beetle pet industry is, I stopped keeping them but preferred spending more time in observing and studying them in the wild. I later realised how little we knew about the ecology of these charismatic creatures despite their popularity. I therefore hope to reveal the importance of saproxylic beetles, so that people would acknowledge these beetles as crucial members in the ecosystem rather than luxurious display or pets. In my PhD, I would quantify the nutrient cycling associated with saproxylic insects and their novel roles as bioengineers. My research will not only confined to tropical forests in Singapore, but also in peat swamp forests in Brunei.
During my leisure time, I love to go on wildlife watching, learning more about how different taxa interact within the ecosystem (and yes, my work is my hobby). Apart from insects, I’m also a big fan of oaks (Family Fagaceae). For non-ecology hobbies, I like playing squash.
Nicole Dorville
I am a PhD candidate at NTU ASE. My background is in environmental science, with strong emphasis on conservation biology/physiology and ecology. I adore strange and unique creatures, and ecosystem service providers. My PhD aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Singapore’s Natureways and park connectors as habitat links through surveying pollinator diversity and pollination activity. The pollinator group consists of several of my favourite b-easts: birds, bats, butterflies, bees, beetles, and several other "bugs", while pollination activity would be qualified through nectar collection, ecological interactions, and urban edge effects.
My hobbies include: tactical physics (Aikido), botanical servitude (gardening), theatrical mathematics (Dungeons & Dragons), and strategic hoarding (collecting small plush/felt creatures). My favourite teas are a tea-way-tie between rooibos, yerba-maté and kombucha.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Zann Teo
I am a Year 4 undergraduate in ASE, majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science. I have worked on the creation of a species checklist of dung beetles in Singapore through sampling in forests and parks, and will then be carrying out DNA barcoding and collection of morphological traits from collected individuals. The species checklist of Singapore dung beetles can then act as a record of species present in Singapore and provide taxonomic information for future studies.
In my first year, I investigated the spatial and temporal turner of dung beetle populations in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
Samuel Cheong
I am a Year 2 undergraduate in ASE, majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science.
I am currently working on a URECA project that surveys the dung beetles across Singapore's largest forest fragment, the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. I also investigated the difference in community composition, abundance, richness and diversity of dung beetles found between canopy and group dung-baited traps.
Outside of academics, I love climbing colourful plastic rocks, thrifting and drinking good cups of matcha!
Jedidiah Ong
I am a Year 2 undergraduate in ASE, majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science.
I am investigating the breeding conditions of dung beetles for my CN Yang research attachment. This project is carried out in collaboration with Singapore Zoo, with the end goal of setting up a viable dung beetle breeding programme there.
Outside of school, I enjoy playing the piano and petting stray cats.
Yeong Su Hui
I am a Year 3 undergraduate currently majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science (Society and the Earth System specialization).
My current research interest would be how to integrate public perception research into improving conservation and educational efforts in Singapore. The research I am currently pursuing is to capture the public perception of insects in Singapore, and uncover the different biases, assumptions and perspectives about them from all walks of life.
Other than research and academic work, I also enjoy playing music with my band, and drinking the different teh pengs (iced tea with milk and sugar) on campus!
Seah Ying Ting
I am a Year 2 undergraduate in ASE, majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science.
I will be working on a URECA project that investigates how wild boar bioturbation affects invertebrate communities, with a focus on millipedes and centipedes.
I love working with animals (I’ve worked with dogs, cats, fishes, lab animals etc- hoping to expand this list!). I also like listening to true crime podcasts and café-hopping with friends in my free time.
PRE-U INTERNS
Guo Cheng Guang
I am a pre-Uni student and I will be helping out with various field work and lab work in my free time. I am interested in both ornithology and entomology, particularly in Charadriiformes and Phasmatodea.
When I have even more free time, I go on hikes and work on my photography skills
