Dr. Sinlan Poo

Dr. Sinlan Poo (Ph. D., National University of Singapore; B.A. Boston University summa cum laude with distinction) is the Curator of Research at the Memphis Zoo and holds an Adjunct position at Arkansas State University. Originally from Taiwan, she is a behavioral ecologist and conservation biologist who has worked on a wide range of projects from basic life history trade-offs, to applied ex/in situ conservation, to forming cross-institutional networks to promote research in biological collections, to increasing visibility of women in herpetology. Her research is primarily focused on amphibians, but has also included reptiles, small mammals, carnivores, invertebrates, and rare plants. She has worked across several countries, including the US, Ecuador, Panama, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Taiwan.

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Dr. Poo's research at the Memphis Zoo is boardly focused on increasing the impact of live collections at zoos and the capacity zoos have to contribute to in situ conservation of endangered species. Some examples include: (1) comparative fitness and adaptations in captive-bred vs natural-bred individuals, (2) reintroduction of endangered amphibians and reptiles, (3) conservation of genetic and biodiversity through assisted reproductive technology and sperm cryopreservation. 

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Currently, Dr. Poo is co-organizing the Zoo-Mu Initiative, which is focused on "Linking and Leveraging Biological Collections: Zoos and Natural History Museums," and is co-leading the Global Women in Herpetology Project. 

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Dr. Poo is on the Advisory Committee of the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), the Research Committee of Species 360, and the Executive Council and Broad of Trustees of The Herpetologists' League.