Cyrlen Jalius, born in Tamparuli, Sabah, is a Molecular Biologist working for Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) at the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Health, Genetic and Forensic Laboratory. She grew up in Tambunan, Sabah, and graduated from the University of Selangor (UNISEL) with a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (Hons).
She was attached to Permai Polyclinic as a Medical Laboratory Technologist before she joined DGFC. In August 2013, there was an opening for a Molecular Biologist for the MONKEYBAR project, a collaboration between several institutions and DGFC. She applied for the position and with the experience of working in the lab, handling and processing human samples, operating and calibrating machines, she was chosen to work with DGFC. Apart from that, she has experience working with sophisticated procedures, using automated and specialized equipment, as well as performing numerous complicated tests simultaneously during her in-house training at Kuching Specialist Hospital (LabLinks). Besides of her own interest, the support and encouragement from her family brought her to work with DGFC.
The extinction of some wildlife animals in her state, Sabah, has encouraged her to get involved in conservation and wildlife protection. The Director of DGFC, Dr Benoit Goossens and his wife, Dr Milena Salgado Lynn, the Scientific Advisor of DGFC, were the main persons that influenced her decision to dedicate herself in conservation research. Her colleagues in DGFC also helped to build up her determination in conserving endangered wildl animals in Sabah. On the other hand, some dangerous viruses, parasites and bacteria are found in wildlife animals that might cause severe diseases on humans. This situation has urged her to contribute her laboratory expertise in wildlife research.
In the MONKEYBAR Project, she contributes her laboratory skills in investigating faecal and blood samples from long-tailed macaques for simian malaria detection. With this project, she hopes that the results can be used as a reference whenever needed. Being part of DGFC also opens up opportunities for her to work with other projects such as analysing DNA from proboscis monkeys for the Proboscis Monkey Conservation Program supported by the Sime Darby Foundation. Her latest adventure is a
Master project on ectoparasites as potential rickettsiae vectors.