Dr. Norma Binti Che Yusoff

Biography

Norma-Rashid is an avid researcher on faunistic living treasures with an extensive field experience. Her job involves four domains teaching, research, administration and providing scientific services to a wider community. The central theme of her research interest is behavioural ecology in the laboratory or various ecosytems (mangrove, marine, riverine, agricultural and forest) in wide ranging animals (insects, spiders & scorpions, selected vertebrates including humans). Currently, she has developed a passion for various aspects (biomonitoring, biocoenosis, ecomorphometrics, taxonomy, behaviour and ecology of dragonflies & spiders. She has described a myriad of species found to be new local records or new to science promoting Malaysian megabiodiversity. Being the only trained local odonatist led her to many connections and recognitions of international repute. Some of her collaborations include Natural History Museum, Leiden, Sussex University, Harvard University, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and National Univesity of Singapore. Her teaching techniques exploited her behaviour expertise relating animal behavioural repertoire as tool usage in capturing student interests which led onto enthusiastic learning. Relating her field activities; I always feel fortunate being part of an expedition as it is a voyage of discovery...

Research Interest

Behavioural Ecology of Marine Organisms (Mangroves, Mudskippers & Spiders) Biological Control (Spiders & Pests) Hemispheric Specialization (Lateralization, Neurophysiology & Behaviour) Ethology and Behavioural Ecology (Animal Behaviour, Animal Ecology, Primatology ) Species Diversity (Conservation & Ecology of Game Animals, Vertebrates, Bioindicators, Arachnofauna (spiders & scorpions), Entomology (Odonata & other insects))