​Janice Ser Huay Lee 

Principle Investigator
​I am an Assistant Professor at the Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The work I conducted for my PhD exposed me to the world of socio-ecological systems. Since then I have been identifying pertinent research questions related to rural land use and land cover change and investigating the consequences of these changes on biodiversity conservation and human livelihoods. I continue to work on research questions related to Southeast Asia's oil palm industry and have expanded my research interests to include food security concerns in Asia, fire activity in Sumatra, as well as ecosystem restoration and cropland abandonment processes in Asia.

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Yuti Ariani Fatimah

Postdoctoral Researcher
My research interests include science and technology studies (STS) focuses on theoretical and practical aspects of power and agency, system dynamics and transition in developmental context. My broad interests are influenced by my inter-disciplinary background. I have a Bachelors in Mathematics and a Master from Development Studies, both from Bandung Institute of Technology. For my PhD in Eindhoven University of Technology, I combined development studies and innovation science literature through my ethnographic work in Central Java and Sumba area. Prior CHNS lab, I have done consultancy works on climate change (using system dynamics model) and smart city (by developing index) and worked as a journalist.

Stuart Smith

Postdoctoral Researcher
*to be updated

Jiaqi Yuen

Research Associate
​My research addresses the effects of human interactions on physical and ecological systems. In particular, I am interested in the effects of land use/land cover change in the tropics. My work typically involves reviewing published and gray literature and developing field projects to understand the natural and anthropogenic processes that vary over time and space. As a graduate student, I have published papers on carbon sequestration in biomass and heavy metals pollution in road deposited sediments. At CHNS lab, I now study the historical impacts of tropical cyclones on rice cultivation. I graduated with a M.Soc.Sci. (Geography) from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Nur Estya bte Rahman

Research Associate
My research interests and expertise include botany, tropical forest ecology and ecophysiology of forest tree species relative to changing climate and landscapes. I previously worked on projects which involved plant molecular genetics and phytoremediation work. Prior to CHNS lab, I worked on the carbon stocks assessment of the Nee Soon freshwater swamp forest in Singapore in NUS. Besides research, I have also participated in voluntary conservation efforts for NGOs since 2017 and through such efforts, I gained insights on the importance of vegetation restoration and community involvement with conserving ecological systems. In order to appreciate our natural systems as a whole, I believe an understanding of socio-ecological interactions is critical to understand and manage their ecological functions. Presently at the CHNS lab, I study the socio-ecological interactions of peatland restoration in Sumatra, Indonesia, and will assist in managing the project grant.

Anushka Rege

PhD student
My research interests include understanding land use changes in the tropics and how biodiversity responds to modified landscapes and anthropogenic influences, besides reconciling livelihoods with conservation. I strive to combine ecology with social sciences and collaborate with policy makers and stakeholders in my research work and also contribute to outreach. I have a Bachelors in Microbiology (2014) and a Masters in Wildlife biology and conservation (WCS India and NCBS Bangalore-2016). For my Masters dissertation I statistically modelled the habitat use of terrestrial mammals in a mixed forest-cashew plantation landscape in the northern Western Ghats.

Muhammad Lubis

PhD student
I have been working for conservation issues especially in Indonesia for about 10 years. I graduated from Faculty of Forestry and took courses in wildlife conservation. I learned GIS (Geographic Information System) and Remote Sensing (RS) technology for my undergraduate research. I also awarded a master degree in Australia at James Cook University (JCU) through Australian Awards Scholarship (AAS) where I expand my knowledge about conservation and development trade off. I also enhanced my skills and knowledge in Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), and statistical analysis for biodiversity conservation studies. I have been working in Non-Governmental Organization such as World Wildlife fund for Nature (WWF), GIZ, and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) mainly in the subject of utilization GIS and RS technology for a better implementation of conservation management of protected areas. I have been involved in the development of forest and biodiversity monitoring program, analyzing long term deforestation rate, modelling threats for a better protection of PAs, predicting risk areas for human and wildlife conflict, and using species distribution modelling to effectively managed key species and its habitat especially for critically endangered species such as Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhino, and Sumatran elephant.  My PhD topic would be related to enhance wildlife protection system by exploring various methods from statistical modelling to machine learning.

Maple Wu Sifeng

PhD student
My research interests include understanding non-linear dynamics in complex adaptive systems, especially how certain complex phenomenon emerge, and what we can do to build a more resilient and sustainable system. My previous background was in limnology,  focusing on eutrophication from the perspective of regime shift and resilience. That's how I get into the study of complex adaptive systems. For my PhD studies, I wish to expand my studies to larger scales, with emphasis on how human interventions and interactions between social systems and ecological systems give rise to complex behaviors. I have experiences in system dynamic models and agent-based models (mainly ecological models for both). I am trying to improve my skills in statistical learning and related modelling methods. Using multiple modelling methods to explore different aspects of complex adaptive system is what I have done and will be doing in a nutshell.

Li Jia Go

FYP student
Li Jia is a final year undergraduate at the Asian School of the Environment working on Singaporeans' preferences for sustainable seafood and evaluating sustainability policies for seafood industries.

Gladys Gan Enxin

FYP student
Gladys is a final year undergraduate at the Asian School of the Environment working on sustainability sourcing policies of consumer companies for nut products such as cashew. 

Lab Alumni

Thuan Sarzynski
Thuan was a MSc. exchange student from the University of Hohenheim and worked on mapping oil palm plantations using optical and radar satellitel imagery on Google Earth Engine.
Jocelyne Shimin Sze
Jocelyne was a research associate and worked on compiling socioeconomic and spatial datasets on fire activity in Sumatra. Jocelyne is a PhD candidate at the University of Sheffield.
Omar Saif
Omar was a trainee/visiting scholar and compiled spatial layers and consolidated time-series socioeconomic datasets to analyse the effects of sustainability standards on social well-being. Omar is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh.
En Mei Tan
En Mei was a FYP student and evaluated the use of blockchain technology for the palm oil industry and developed a spatial map of high-risk palm oil mills.

Undergraduates

URECA PROGRAMME
En Mei Tan (​Sept 2017-Jun 2018) Drivers of agricultural land abandonment across the tropics
Li Jia Go (Sept 2016-Jun 2017) Mangrove restoration across the tropics
Yuan Ning Mock (Sept 2016-Jun 2017) Coral reef restoration across Southeast Asia
ES3008 STUDENT PROJECTS
Jefferson (Jan-Jun 2017) Mapping land conflicts and fire activity in Sumatra
Jinying Teo (Jan-Jun 2017) Sustainability commitments of oil palm plantations in Indonesia
Interested to join us?
If you are interested to join this lab as an undergraduate, graduate student or postdoc, please do not hesitate to contact me at janicelee<a>ntu.edu.sg