The Baker Lab
The Baker Lab Team
Postdocs
Dr. Haoya Tong Contact: tonghy@hku.hk
Ph.D. (HKUST)
B.Sc. (Nanjing University)
I specialize in coral reef ecology, with a keen focus on the molecular ecology of corals. My research primarily explores coral resilience, acclimation and adaptation, alongside conservation efforts in the context of human activities and ongoing climate change. Employing an integrative approach that encompasses physiology, genomics, metabolomics, and modeling, my goal is to unravel the response mechanisms of the coral holobiont to diverse stressors. Through this, I aim to identify and develop effective strategies for coral conservation.
Dr. Hannah Bethany Tilley Contact: htilley@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D. Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU)
M.Sc., B.Sc. Zoology (University College London)
Tilley is a conservation biologist with an interest in developing tools to protect vulnerable species. As a postdoctoral associate, she is tasked with developing an isotopic protocol to protect endemic trees from poaching and illegal trade in Hong Kong SAR. She also has an avid interest in wildlife trade and collaborates on projects monitoring songbird and reptile markets in Southern China.
Website: https://hannahbtilley.weebly.com/
Graduate Students
Jimena Paredes-De la Vega Contact: u3011562@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D. Student (HKU-SWIMS)
BSc: Biology, UNAM
My research investigates the ecology, physiology, and symbiosis of gorgonian corals (octocorals) across two distinct ocean basins: the Caribbean Sea and the South China Sea. Using stable isotope analysis (SIA) and other methods, I aim to resolve various questions about the trophic ecology, niche partitioning, and symbiotic interactions of these animals. As our oceans face increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressure, most research has focused on reef-building scleractinian corals, leaving octocorals (now the dominant taxa on many Caribbean reefs) largely understudied. My work seeks to address this knowledge gap by building a comprehensive trophic framework for gorgonians, with implications for the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.
Mengjin Tim Zhang Contact: mjzhang@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D. Student: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU)
B.S. Evolution & Ecology;
B.S. Applied Mathematics (The Ohio State University)
After receiving Bachelor’s degrees from The Ohio State University and working as a research intern at the Smithsonian NMNH, I joined the lab in Fall 2023 as a new Ph.D. student. My research focuses mostly on marine invertebrate biodiversity and urban marine ecology. Specifically, I am interested in how various anthropogenic impacts, such as pollution, urban runoff, and aquaculture, affect biodiversity in urbanized marine environments and the implications for management and conservation. Throughout my Ph.D., I will investigate these topics utilizing a combination of molecular and morphological techniques across both metazoan and microbial study systems.
Zhongyue Wilson Wan Contact: zhongyue@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D. Student: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
M.Sc. Environmental Management (HKU)
My work focuses on coral restoration. In particular, I look at how different restoration methodologies impact coral survival rate, health, and ecological function. I aim to identify optimal restoration methodology in sub-tropical Hong Kong areas to increase coral community resilience amidst a warming ocean.
Joe Brennan Contact: jbrennan@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D. Candidate: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
B.A. Marine Biology (Florida International University)
Throughout my PhD, I will focus on how coral-algal symbiosis is effected by the combined influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors. My research looks into these effects by observing changes in coral and algal physiology in order to assess the overall health of the coral holobiont. This focus may benefit humankind in our ability to predict how different symbiotic organisms manipulate physiological function in order to handle reoccurring events of stress that may become more common in the near future.
Sam Webster contact: sjwebster.hk@gmail.com
B.Sc. Marine Biology (University of Essex)
MRes Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation (UCL)
My research focusses on Hong Kong’s understudied black coral communities; order Antipatharia. Specifically, I am investigating their trophic strategies through stable isotope analyses, and their distribution patterns both spatially (from west to east across Hong Kong’s water quality gradient) and vertically (from shallow to mesophotic depths). I am also interested in the habitat complexity that black corals contribute to benthic communities and plan to characterise Hong Kong’s black coral forests in order to better understand their ecological significance and conservation needs.
Cindy Peter Contact: pcindy.hku@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D Student: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
M.Sc. Marine Ecology (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)
B.Sc. (Hons) Animal Resource Science and Management
(Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)
Globally, anthropogenic noise has increased exponentially, and this noise pollutes the habitat of cetaceans. Underwater noise pollution cannot be turned off to study the effects but during the pandemic, some sources of noise pollution were eliminated temporarily. For my PhD, I will assess how communication of dolphins and their prey changed before, during and after COVID-19 restrictions.
Drolma (Chen Zhima) Contact: chen.zhima@connect.hku.hk
Ph.D Student: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
B.A. Sociology (Duke University)
I am passionate about education and I was an amateur educator for experiential learning for more than a decade. My goal for this PhD program is to enhance my knowledge in ecology and biodiversity, and explore different models in environmental conservation and education. I am interested in learning more about the biodiversity in Hong Kong which is dramatically different from where I am from.
Horace Lau Contact: horace01lau@connect.hku.hk
MPhil Student: Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
B.Sc. Biology (CUHK)
My research will investigate the factors affecting the natural ability of self-attachment from hard coral fragments. My goal is to apply these findings to enhance the efficacy of coral restoration through improved strategies for site selection, species choices, and transplantation methods.
Research Assistants
Gabrielle Patricio Contact: gpat@hku.hk
B.Sc. Ecology and Biodiversity (HKU-SWIMS)
I first joined the lab as an intern and later as a student research assistant, assisting with the research on blue carbon ecosystems and coral-algal symbiosis. After graduating from HKU, I’ll continue to contribute my efforts as a full-time research assistant.
