Fion Waisum Ma
Vertebrate palaeontology research

Evolution, Dinosaurs, Digital visualisation, Biomechanics

I am a vertebrate palaeontologist from Hong Kong. I am doing a Palaeobiology PhD at the University of Birmingham with Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, Prof. Richard Butler and Dr Michael Pittman (HKU). My project focuses on the functional morphology of oviraptorosaurs - a group of bizarre, bird-like theropod dinosaurs known from Asia and North America. I use digital modelling and biomechanical techniques to study the feeding mechanics of oviraptorosaurs and their relatives.

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I obtained a bachelor degree in Geology and Ecology & Biodiversity at The University of Hong Kong in 2017, where I worked on the mandible of oviraptorosaur Gigantoraptor with Dr Michael Pittman and Prof Xing Xu (IVPP, CAS). With growing interest in dinosaurs, I started my Palaeontology and Geobiology masters at The University of Edinburgh in 2017, working on the skull evolution of oviraptorosaurs with Prof. Stephen Brusatte and the late Prof. Junchang Lü (IG, CAGS). 

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My research has been covered by international media such as BBC, National Geographic, CCTV and CNN. I have written articles for science websites The Conversation and Palaeontology Online.

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Contact

E-mail: fionma12@connect.hku.hk / w.ma.1@pgr.bham.ac.uk / fionma@bpmc.org.cn

Links: Twitter@FionMaWS / Google Scholar / ResearchGate / ORCiD

Address: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom