Biography

Dr. Wei Lun is an Associate Professor at the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, where he has been a faculty member since 2018. He completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at Kyushu University, Japan, and his undergraduate degree at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. Throughout his research career, Dr. Wei Lun has served at academic and research institutions in Malaysia, Japan, and China, actively collaborating with researchers from both locally and abroad. His research background is on population genetics and genomics, and his current research interests are on using various tools to study mangrove biodiversity and their biotechnological potential.

Research Interest

• Population and evolutionary genetics/genomics

• Molecular ecology

• Mangrove biodiversity and biotechnology

Educational Background

•    Ph.D. (Population/Evolutionary Genetics) - Kyushu University, Japan (2014)
•    M.Sc. (Population/Evolutionary Genetics) - Kyushu University, Japan (2011)
•    B.Sc. (Biotechnology) - Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (2007)

Working Experience

• Associate Professor - China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia (2025 to Present)

• Head of Programme (M.Sc. Marine Biotechnology) - China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia (2022 to Present)

• Assistant Professor - China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia (2018 to 2024)

• Postdoctoral Researcher - School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, China (2016 to 2018)

• Visiting Researcher - Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Malaysia (2015)

• Postdoctoral Researcher - Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences/Institute of Biosciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia (2014 to 2016)

• Research Officer - Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Malaysia (2007 to 2008).

Research Experience

• “Antimicrobial effects of endophytic fungi from mangroves against aquaculture pathogens”; MEL-CAMS Special Internal Program; Co-Principal Investigator (2025 to 2026)

• “Development of a complete chloroplast genome library using next-generation sequencing technique for the phylogenetics and evolution of Durian (Durio) species native to Malaysia”; Fundamental Research Grant Scheme; Co-researcher (2023 to 2025)

• “Understanding the diversity of endophytic fungi in Malaysian mangroves”; Malaysia Toray Science Foundation S&T Grant; Principal Investigator (2023 to 2024)

• “Cultivation of organisms for biocontrol and biofertiliser”; Kawan Biotech; Principal Investigator (2023 to 2024)

• “Population genetics and natal dispersal of the near threatened Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii)"; XMUM Research Fund; Principal Investigator (2019 to 2024).

• “Assessing species and genetic diversity of birds and their physiological stress response as indicators of mangrove recovery”; Fundamental Research Grant Scheme; Co-researcher (2019 to 2022)

• “Development of a chloroplast genome library for DNA tracking and conservation of five endangered gaharu (Aquilaria) species native to Malaysia”; UPM Geran Putra Berimpak; Co-researcher (2018 to 2020)

• “Mutagenesis, transcriptomics, and metabolomics of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) PC1 variety”; UPM Geran Putra IPB; Co-researcher (2016 to 2019)

• “Genotyping Malaysian durian clones towards the development of a DNA marker kit for durian identification”; UPM Geran Putra IPS; Co-researcher (2016 to 2018)

Representative Publications

• Ho HX, Chong TF, Ng WL, et al. 2024. The complete mitochondrial genome data of Pholas orientalis (Gmelin, 1791) from Malaysia. Data in Brief 55: 110581.

• Ng WL, Teoh HW, Heng WX, et al. 2020. Characterisation of the flowers of Indo-West Pacific Rhizophora mangroves in Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 72(4): 503-509.

• Ng WL, Wu W, Zou P, et al. 2019. Genome-wide comparison of gene expression in two Melastoma species and their F1 hybrid sheds light on differential adaptation and rapid radiation within the genus. AoB Plants 11: plz019.

• Puan CL, Norehan AJ, Ng WL, et al. 2018. Intersexual and interspecific morphometric variations in three sympatric babbler species from Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 70(1): 27-32.

• Guo W, Ng WL, Wu H, et al. 2018. Chloroplast phylogeography of a widely distributed mangrove species, Excoecaria agallocha, in the Indo-West Pacific region. Hydrobiologia 807(1): 333-347.

• Ragavan P, Zhou R, Ng WL, et al. 2017. Natural hybridization in mangroves – An overview. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 185(2): 208-224.

• Liew PL, Ng WL, Tan SG. 2015. Levels and patterns of genetic variation in an Asian horseshoe crab species, Tachypleus gigas Muller, from the Malay Peninsula. Marine Biology Research 11(8): 879-886.

• Ng WL, Onishi Y, Inomata N, et al. 2015. Closely related and sympatric but not all the same: Genetic variation of Indo-West Pacific Rhizophora mangrove species across the Malay Peninsula. Conservation Genetics 16: 137-150.

• Ng WL, Szmidt AE. 2014. Introgressive hybridization in two Indo-West Pacific mangrove sister species, Rhizophora mucronata and R. stylosa. Aquatic Botany 120: 222-228.

• Ng WL, Chan HT, Szmidt AE. 2013. Molecular identification of natural mangrove hybrids of Rhizophora in Peninsular Malaysia. Tree Genetics & Genomes 9(5): 1151-1160.

Honors / Awards

• The Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho, MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship (2008 to 2014).

Prospective PhD/MSc Applications

•    Molecular ecology or population genetics of mangrove flora and fauna
•    Biodiversity of mangrove microbiome