Meet our teams

Trevor Padgett | PhD Candidate 

Parasitic Plant Ecology and Evolution

Trevor is a 3rd year PhD candidate studying the ecological drivers of parasitic plant distribution patterns, plant-animal interactions, and population genetics of isolated populations of obligate parasitic plants in Taiwan. His research aims to better understand how the understudied but ecologically important parasitic plants operate within forest ecosystems over seasonal and evolutionary time scales to better inform our interpretation of their ecology and their conservation status.

Sammi Yen Ting Huang | PhD Candidate

Spider ecology and silk plasticity

Sammi is a second-year PhD candidate studying spider silk. Her research aim is to look at the adaptation and plasticity of spider silk to face abiotic factor changes from behavioral, morphological, and molecular analysis. Focusing on the material property changes and microbiome found in silk-producing related organs.

Cheng-Wei Chen | PhD Candidate 

Fern Systematics and Evolution

Cheng-Wei is a 3rd-year PhD candidate focusing on unraveling the mystery of independent gametophytes in ferns. His research delves into testing genetic and environmental hypotheses to elucidate this phenomenon, thereby enhancing our understanding of fern ecology as a whole. Additionally, he has a keen interest in exploring fern diversity in Southeast Asia, regularly conducting fieldwork through international collaborations.

Felipe Mattos | PhD Candidate (BRCAS)

Reef Fish Ecology and Functioning

Felipe is a 4th year PhD candidate studying the factors influencing the community dynamics of coral reef fish, the drivers of taxonomic and functional diversity and the dominance patterns in reef fish assemblages. His PhD project aims to understand the recovery of reef fish assemblages, the drivers behind those processes and how they affect the diversity of reef fish. Focusing on recruitment as a means for enhancing the recovery and maintenance of future populations, Felipe tries to understand which factors are crucial in promoting recruitment and maintaining a stable reef fish community.

Sandra Hoi Sze Leung | PhD Student (CUHK) 

Multi-omics of soybean-soil microbiome interactions

Sandra is a first-year PhD student of Prof. Hon-Ming Lam. Intending to harness crop-microbe synergy for sustainable agriculture, she examines how soybeans modulate the community structure and ecological functions of the soil microbiome, and how those microbial responses feedback on soybeans’ fitness.

Norah Muisa | PhD Student (CUHK)

Environmental Science 

Norah is Prof. Martin Tsz Ki Tsui’s second-year PhD student, studying the behavior and fate of lithium in diverse ecosystems of Hong Kong. Norah is also interested in solid waste management and studying other emerging contaminants, including microplastics. From the outset, her research journey has been driven by a passion for environmental sustainability and to gain insights into the effects of contaminants on our planet.

Ki Kei Beth CHAN | PhD student (CUHK)

Developmental biology

Beth is a third-year PhD student of Prof. Jerome Hui’s lab. Interested in the underlying regulatory effects of gene transcripts in development, she is currently working on the genes that regulate insect development and molting in Drosophila.

Billy Chun Ting Cheung | PhD Student (CUHK)

Marine Ecology and Coral Conservation and Biology

Billy is a year-one PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Apple PY Chui. He is now exploring the manipulation of the endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae and Bacteria in relieving the stress response of the coral in eutrophicated and warmer water especially the subtropical early-stage corals in Hong Kong. He also participates in outreach activities in environmental protection and marine conservation, as well as contributing to the coral restoration in Tolo Harbour using Microfragmentation technology.

Candy Hing Man Au | PhD Student (CUHK)

Evolutionary biology & Conservation biology

Candy is a third-year PhD student of Prof. Jerome Hui. Driven by her ambition, Candy is now resolving whole genome duplication events among chelicerates, intending to understand the origin and the evolutionary consequences of such events using horseshoe crabs as examples.

Eric Tsz Kin Au | PhD Student (CUHK)

Lepidoptera Ecology and Biology

Eric is a first-year PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Jerome Hui. He is interested in studying the impact of climate change on Lepidoptera. Currently, he is focusing on investigating the sexual dimorphism of Lepidoptera in response to environmental changes.

CHONG Tze Kiu (Kay) | Mphil Student (CUHK) 

Insect-fungus interaction

Kay is a first-year Mphil student of Prof. Jerome Hui’s lab. She is currently investigating insect-fungus interaction in molecular aspects and exploring the use of entomopathogenic fungi as pest control in Hong Kong.