Kingston Lab members Isham and Ashraf attended in the 5th International Southeast Asian Bat Conference in Vietnam (November 25–28, 2024). Both presented their PhD research, with Ashraf’s presentation earning him the second-best presenter award of the conference – congratulations, Ashraf!
Isham’s post-breakfast dive – unpacking how echolocation shapes the menu for insectivorous bats! 
Ashraf’s talk on “Land-use change shapes bat assemblage structure in a highly degraded landscape” hit it out of the park—earning him the second-best presenter award!
Tigga led two impactful workshops during the conference:
- Field Hygiene in Practice: Demonstrating the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to prevent the risk of potential microbe transmission between humans and wildlife.
- Cave Bat Conservation: Reviewing conservation strategies, identifying critical cave systems, developing monitoring systems, and fostering cross-country collaboration for unexplored cave surveys.
The post-conference trip to Cat Tien National Park featured hands-on demonstrations by Tigga and lab alumna Dr. Kendra Phelps, where they guided participants through field hygiene protocols from the IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group. These demonstrations emphasized the use of appropriate PPE for studying cave bats, the application of disinfectants, and safe fieldwork practices to minimize microbe transmission risks between bats and humans.
Kingston Lab 