Cindy Kong
Mount Druitt,NSW
Summary
Dedicated scientist with extensive experience in data analysis, laboratory techniques, and fieldwork. Skilled in collaborating on diverse research projects, from behavioral analysis to public understanding of scientific issues. Committed to applying analytical insights to foster scientific advancement and community engagement.
Overview
1
1
Language
1
1
Certification
3
3
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Project
Taronga Zoo
01.2026 - Current
- Annotate giraffe and lion behaviors using a structured ethological taxonomy, contributing to a high-quality video-language dataset for training vision-large-language models (VLLMs) on CVAT up to 86,400 frames per hour.
- Translated live and recorded behavioral observations into consistent textual descriptions, ensuring synchronization of video frames with timestamped text through collaboration with biologists and an AI team.
- Conducted fieldwork to gather data on animal behavior, including camera setup, mapping wires, and maintaining surveillance equipment.
Radioactive Waste in Australia – Public Understand
ANSTO/UNSW
Randwick
08.2026 - 12.2026
- Analyze media representation and public discourse on radioactive waste in Australia. Identified dominant narratives and misconceptions shaping public attitudes. Profiled stakeholder groups, including communities near nuclear sites, educators, and media, to assess knowledge gaps. Evaluated ANSTO's communication strategies to enhance understanding of radioactive waste management among key stakeholders. Developed targeted communication and education strategy to address knowledge gaps for specific stakeholder group. Created a practical pilot plan for implementation of the communication strategy.
Analytical BioChemistry Lab experience
UNSW
Randwick
05.2026 - 08.2026
- Assessed drug specificity by evaluating antibiotic, antifungal, and eukaryotic inhibitor efficacy across bacterial (E. coli), yeast (S. cerevisiae), and mammalian (K-562) cell lines, contributing to drug development insights.
- Characterized acid phosphatase kinetics to determine optimal conditions for enzyme activity, enhancing subsequent experimental designs.
- Quantified glucose, lactate, hemoglobin, and p-nitrophenol concentrations using UV-Vis spectrophotometry to support metabolic profiling.
HEPA Filter Metagenomics
UNSW
01.2026 - 03.2026
- Designed and executed culture-dependent (Gram stain, biochemical tests, MALDI-TOF) and culture-independent (16S rRNA sequencing, phylogenetic analysis) study of bacterial communities in HEPA-filtered hand-dryers, enhancing understanding of microbial presence in public facilities.
- Critically interpreted discordant phenotypic vs. genotypic results, identifying potential contamination and pipetting errors – demonstrating scientific rigor and problem-solving.
- Mentored team members in aseptic technique and sterile workflow, improving lab competency and ensuring adherence to safety protocols.
Starch-Hydrolysing Bacteria
UNSW
01.2024 - 03.2024
- Isolated and characterised starch-hydrolysing bacteria through microbiological culturing, enzyme quantification, spectrophotometry, and genetic manipulation with gene sequencing to support molecular identification.
- Completed day-to-day duties accurately and efficiently.
- Contributed innovative ideas and solutions to enhance team performance and outcomes.
- Worked successfully with diverse group of coworkers to accomplish goals and address issues related to our products and services.
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Molecular and cell Biology
UNSW
Randwick12-2027
Diploma of Science - Molecular and cell Biology
UNSW
RandwickSkills
- Field data collection
- Experimental design
- Ethological analysis
- Data analysis
- Statistical software
- MATLAB
- R
- Data visualization
- Project management
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
Certification
- WWCC
- HLTAID012
- CPR and First Aid
Languages
Chinese (Mandarin)
Professional
Timeline
Radioactive Waste in Australia – Public Understand
ANSTO/UNSW
08.2026 - 12.2026
Analytical BioChemistry Lab experience
UNSW
05.2026 - 08.2026
Research Project
Taronga Zoo
01.2026 - Current
HEPA Filter Metagenomics
UNSW
01.2026 - 03.2026
Starch-Hydrolysing Bacteria
UNSW
01.2024 - 03.2024
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Molecular and cell Biology
UNSW
Diploma of Science - Molecular and cell Biology
UNSW