Cyren Wong Zhi Hoong

Dr. Cyren Wong is a lecturer and researcher at Monash University Malaysia. With just over 6 years of experience in the field of anthropology and ecology, Dr. Wong completed his PhD in 2018 on the topic of community-based conservation, where he spent two years living among the Semai Orang Asli of Gopeng, in the state of Perak, Malaysia.

At the time of his PhD, Dr. Wong's research involved the mapping of ecological and socio-cultural actor-networks that were enacted by the indigenous Semai living in the Bukit Kinta Rainforest. The Gopeng Semai, particularly members of the Ulu Geroh community were, at the time, involved in the conducting of eco-tours and the preservation of Nationally iconic species such as the Rafflesia flower and Rajah Brooke's Birdwing butterfly.

Since then, his research has branched out to also include various topics in the fields of ethnozoology, ethnobotany, and tropical ecology. Presently, some of his current projects are on the topics of how cultural perceptions of animals impact wildlife conservation initiatives, as well as species interactions, population dynamics, and animal behavior in urban ecosystems.

As a member of Southeast Asia’s up-and-coming science-communication community and the founder of the "Nature Talks Back" platform, Dr. Wong also engages in public discourses on indigenous issues, ecosystem awareness, and biodiversity conservation.

When he is not teaching, conducting research, or traipsing about in the field, Dr. Wong can be found in his humble home, organizing his crystal collection and tending to his garden, always accompanied by a rescue cat named Ginger and a rooster named Roger.