Dr Jacinta Kong: Humans of BioSciences

Above image captures Jacinta in her PhD regalia, donned for her at home virtual 'covid-graduation'

Who are you and what are you doing now?

I am a postdoctoral teaching and research fellow at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland meaning I split my time between my teaching duties and research. I teach zoology (Chordate ectotherms mostly) and biostatistics in R. Recently, I’ve been testing new methods of teaching R and statistics online that you can read about on my GitHub. On the research side, I’ve been working with Dr Nicholas Payne, and colleagues on various questions involving the physiology of ectotherms (most invertebrates, fish, reptiles etc.) ranging from shark behaviour to how these species would respond to a warming climate with climate change because of how temperature affects their physiology.

Above image shows a nudibranch, a soft bodied marine gastropod mollusk 

What was your PhD experience like at the University of Melbourne?

My PhD experience was excellent with lots of rewarding opportunities and challenges. I have had the privilege of visiting spectacular natural places from the desert to the rainforests to the reef as part of my work that I may not usually see. I really enjoyed interacting with diverse colleagues and peers, many of whom continue to be inspiring role models and whom have shown me the many aspects of working at a university and doing research.

What problems were you trying to solve with your PhD research?

My project looked at how temperature affects the life cycles of insects through the diversity of egg development in a group of desert dwelling native grasshoppers (matchstick grasshoppers). These relationships are important for understanding species distributions, the evolution of insect life cycles and responses to climate change. The diversity of field, lab and research skills required for my project are things I can take forward. My supervisor was Professor Michael Kearney in the Climate and Metabolic Ecology Laboratory (CAMEL) and my co-supervisor was Professor Ary Hoffmann in the Pest & Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG), based at Bio21.

Above image shows a desert dwelling matchstick grasshopper

What was your most outlandish experience during your PhD?

The most outlandish thing that happened to me at the Uni was unexpectedly finding baby mantises popping up every couple of days in the lab when they shouldn’t be there. Turns out their egg case had hitched a ride on some plants and some had hatched.

What would you like to do next?

I would like to continue doing research on animal ecology because I am fascinated by how animals live where they live and their often complex two-way relationship with their environment. I want to expand my experience and skills by working on different animals and in different natural systems.

Above image shows some of Jacinta's teaching specimens

What do you like doing outside of science? Did you pick up any new hobbies during the Covid lockdown?

Outside science I enjoying watching kids cartoons (and other shows) on Netflix, following science fiction, pop science and fantasy news and going for walks (sometimes for coffee or brunch when we could). I also enjoy a good snorkel or ramble to find animals but it’s too cold in Ireland for swimming for me. During the Covid lockdown I re-discovered my old interests in young adult books and Greek mythology. I got a bit obsessed and re-read entire series several times. I ended up reading the Iliad and the Odyssey when I would not normally be interested in reading Classics.

Find Out More

Dr Jacinta Kong: Profile / Blog / Google Scholar / Twitter

Climate and Metabolic Ecology Laboratory (CAMEL), University of Melbourne

Pest & Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG), University of Melbourne

Ecological Insights Lab, Trinity College Dublin

'Humans of BioSciences' is a special series to introduce the School of BioSciences' undergrad and postgrad students, our academics, professional staff and associates.