Getting to know... Bob Wong
Dr Bob Wong
Name: Dr Bob Wong
Title: Senior Lecturer in Behavioural and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty/Division: Science
Dept: School of Biological Sciences
Campus: Clayton
How long have you worked at Monash?
Almost seven years.
Where did you work prior to starting at the University?
I was on an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship at The University of Melbourne. The fellowship was suppose to be for three years but I was only there for a few months because I got the job at Monash. My postdoc advisor was very understanding (and only a little bit bitter).
What do you like best about your role?
I really enjoy the balance of teaching and research that comes with the job. Working as a biologist has also allowed me to travel to some pretty amazing places, from the Sierra Madre in Mexico to the arid interior of Central Australia.
Why did you choose your current career path?
I’ve always been fascinated by animals, and fish in particular. I was fortunate to have parents who fostered my hobby interests. The family home in Canberra was like a public aquarium. I think it was only natural that I ended up as a biologist but it did take me a while to come to this realisation (I actually did combined degrees in Science and Law at uni).
First job?
Delivering leaflets for a local take-away in the infamous Canberra suburb of Fyshwick.
Worst job?
Deveining (hundreds of) prawns at the family restaurant.
What research/projects are you currently working on and what does it involve?
I am a behavioural ecologist, which means I am interested in understanding animal behaviour from an ecological and evolutionary perspective. The bulk of my research focuses on how investment in sex influences reproductive strategies and biological diversity. I have conducted research on a wide range of species, from insects to humans to fish. In the last few years, I have become increasingly interested in understanding the impacts of environmental change on animal behaviour and the evolutionary process. I recently initiated a research program studying the effects of pollution on the reproductive behaviour of mosquitofish. I also do behavioural research on extraordinary fish called desert gobies, which are found in the rivers and springs in the Lake Eyre Basin.
What is your favourite place in the world and why?
The Tvarminne Zoological Research Station, situated on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Finland. I’ve had the opportunity to spend several summers at the station working with colleagues from The University of Helsinki. The area around the station is really spectacular, with literally thousands of islands in the neighbouring archipelago. The neighbouring town of Hanko also does a fantastic blueberry ice cream.
What is your favourite place to eat and why?
I love the City BBQ on Little Bourke Street in Chinatown. It’s one of those cantonese places with roast ducks hanging by the window… I’m a sucker for roast duck.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
“It needs to be crisper, cleaner and more informative”.
Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues wouldn’t know?
I collect Australian Aboriginal art. My apartment is covered from floor to ceiling in paintings. I believe its called a ‘salon hang’. My favourite artists are Willy Billabong, Peter Pijaju Skipper, and Butcher Cherel Janangoo.