PhD Student, Hainan Gibbon Project Coordinator
Curriculum Vitae
2017-Present: PhD Student, Royal Holloway, University of London
2016–Present: Project coordinator, Institute of Zoology, based in China
2014–2015: Research Intern, Indicators and Assessments Unit, Institute of Zoology
2013–2014: M.Sc. Biodiversity Conservation and Management, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, UK
2013, 2014: Research Intern, CGIAR-World Fish Center, Bangladesh and South Asia Office
2009–2013: B.Sc. Environmental Studies, minor in Visual Arts, Emory University, USA
Research Interests
I am interested in investigating the extent to which low-income communities near nature reserves in China utilize and rely on the reserve's resources, and identifying potential sustainable alternative livelihood options. My project aims to gain a robust understanding of community usage and perceptions of local biodiversity and human disturbance within and around nature reserves on Hainan Island, China, and inform conservation management decisions at a broader level. This PhD is partially funded by Arcus Foundation and the Zoological Society of London’s Hainan Gibbon Project.
My role as a China-based coordinator for the Hainan Gibbon Project involves ensuring ZSL research initiatives are carried out on the ground, management of equipment and data, engaging with stakeholders, networking with existing and potential partners, translation, planning logistics for field work and facilitating visits of ZSL staff to China.
I also assist with research on the ecology and threats to the Yangtze finless porpoise, undertaken by Institute of Zoology Ph.D. student Lisa Mogensen, and the upcoming pangolin consumer-demand reduction research led by Carly Waterman in Conservation Programmes.
Previous Experience
I worked on a participatory action research project in southwestern Bangladesh over two summers after my undergraduate degree and during my master’s dissertation, respectively. The project, “Small Pond Fish Productivity, Diversity and Resilience ‘EcoPond’ Project,” targets impoverished women in rural Bangladesh and engages them to explore ecological management methods to enhance small indigenous fish biodiversity.
In addition to my academic interests in conservation science, I also studied fine art for more than 10 years, mainly training in drawing and painting. My studio practice will continue to compliment my passions for the environment, working in the field and traveling as I combine the scientific method with artistic lenses.
During my internship at the IoZ, colleague Valentina Marconi and I organized a staff and student artwork display in the Nuffield Building. More of my artwork can be found here.
Publications
Böhm, M., Cook, D., Ma, H., Davidson, A.D., García, A., Tapley, B., Pearce-Kelly, P. and Carr, J. (2016) Hot and bothered: using trait-based approaches to assess climate change vulnerability in reptiles. Biological Conservation 204: 32–41.
