I’m a birder, conservation scientist, and software developer working at the intersection of ecology and code. As a Software Developer and R Specialist at QCIF, I build and maintain the EcoCommons Platform, helping researchers run species distribution models and spatial analyses at scale. I earned my MPhil at QUT, where I applied spatial and statistical modelling to biodiversity monitoring in Antarctica. Along the way I’ve tutored GIS and environmental planning, led a panda conservation project in China, and been recognised with the BirdLife International Young Conservation Leaders Award. My work centres on turning ecological questions into reproducible, well-designed tools.
Download my resumé.
- Species Distribution Modelling
- Spatial Statistics and Analysis
- Conservation Planning
- Optimal Monitoring
Master of Philosophy (Conservation Science), 2024
Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Environmental Engineering, 2017
Dalian University of Technology
In the News
SBS Mandarin featured the EcoCommons platform and my work on it in a podcast episode (11:34), presented by Olivia Yuan, on how data science supports wildlife conservation in Australia.
🎧 Listen to the original Mandarin episode
📄 Read the English summary (for readers who don’t speak Mandarin)
SBS Chinese reported on the 2026 Australian Museum Eureka Prize finalists, highlighting Chinese-Australian scientists among the nominees. QCIF’s EcoCommons platform — and me as a team member — were featured in the newly created Excellence in Data Platforms category:
昆州網絡基建基金 (QCIF) 旗下 EcoCommons 將來自不同機構的數千個環境資料集，整合到一個雲端平台上，協助應對氣候變化、物種滅絕和生態系統管理問題。基金成員趙翔入圍「卓越數碼平台」獎項。
QCIF’s EcoCommons platform consolidates thousands of environmental datasets from different institutions into a single cloud platform, helping tackle climate change, species extinction and ecosystem management. Foundation member Xiang Zhao is a finalist in the “Excellence in Data Platforms” category.
Certificates
Awards & Funding
Shortlisted as a finalist for the ARDC Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Platforms, recognising the EcoCommons Platform among the 2026 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes finalists.
Issued by the QUT Vice-Chancellor’s Office · Dec 2024. Associated with QUT (Queensland University of Technology).
Nominated by Dr Catherine Kim, who said: “The EVB203 Geospatial Information Science sessional team (2023, 2024) have been excellent in supporting the needs of students. Dr Catherine Kim modified the unit to include multiple tools to do geospatial analyses including the R programming language, ESRI ArcGIS, and QGIS for real-world relevance. This means that the tutors attend to various questions and troubleshooting. The tutors have also contributed to ’translating’ some of the tutorial content across different tools and Canvas content. The tutorial sessions are very hands-on dealing with technical and unit questions for 6+ hours a week. The tutors were all around helpful which the students appreciated: ‘Very friendly demonstrator that was eager to help students with any issue they might be facing and made a fun learning environment’. The EVB203 tutoring team has been a joy to work with and has made my life as a unit coordinator easier!”
Photography
Selected wildlife photography
