Quantitative and Functional Ecology

Apa khabar! I’m Lai Hao Ran (賴浩然) and a plant community ecologist. My research aims to understand and generalise the dynamics of forest biodiversity through functional traits, statistical rigour, and long-term monitoring. My career goal is to build capacity and foster a more innovative research community in Malaysia and tropical Asia.

Please feel free to reach out for research collaboration, forest fieldwork, guest teaching, and project (co)supervision.

Current position

Ecologist / Data scientist, South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), Malaysia (joint appointment with Imperial College London, UK) 2025 ForestGEO Research Award

Past positions

2019–2025 | Post-doctoral fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Marsden Fast Start Grant

2019 | Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore CUGE Visiting Research Fellowship

2015–2018 | Teaching assistant, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2018 Teaching Assistant Award 2017 Teaching Assistant Award

Education

2015–2018 | PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore International Society for Plant Molecular Biology Medal for most outstanding thesis

2009–2012 | BSc (Hons), School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia University Medal D.A. Herbert Prize in Botany F.A. Perkins Prize in Entomology