Wei-Ping Chan

Exploratory Data Scientist | Interdisciplinary Researcher | From Nature to Society

I am a research scientist specializing in data science, AI, and computational modeling, with a strong focus on exploratory analysis, uncovering patterns, and developing theoretical insights. My interdisciplinary approach—integrating ecology, evolution, environmental science, and AI—has led to new discoveries and novel technologies.

My expertise includes digitization, spectral data analysis, insect flight mechanisms, and multi-modal AI applications. With over a decade of programming experience, I work extensively with spatiotemporal data, computer vision, and causal inference, building scalable analytical frameworks to drive scientific innovation and real-world applications.

Technical Skills

Programming

Python
R
MATLAB
Wolfram Mathematica
Spark
SQL
IDL
Shell Script
(Visual Basic)

Data Analysis

Machine Learning
Computer Vision
Causal Inference
NLP
Statistical Modeling
Predictive Analytics
Time-Series Analysis
Spatiotemporal Analysis
High-Dimensional Data

Software & Tools

ArcGIS
Tableau
Scikit-learn
ArcGIS
ENVI
SPSS
Git
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Premiere Pro
(Unreal Engine 5)

Research Methods

Ecological Modeling
Evolutionary Inference
Numerical Simulation
Experimental Design
Data Mining
Cross-Boundary Insights
Field Work
Workflow Optimization
Project Management

Datasets I Have Worked With

Geospatial and Environmental Data

Satellite Imagery
(MODIS, Landsat, VIIRS)
Gridded Environmental Data
(Land Use)
Gridded Climate Data
(CRU, CHELSA)
Weather Station Data
(GHCN, METAR)
Topographic Data
(EarthEnv)

Biological and Genetic Data

DNA Sequencing Data
Phylogenetic Trees
Stable Isotope Data
Species Occurrence Records
(iNaturalist, GBIF)
Experimental Results

Visual Data

Photographs (TIFF, JPG, PNG)
Multispectral Imagery
Video Recordings
(30, 60, 120, 450, 900 fps)
Spectral Data

Computational and Simulated Data

Computational Fluid Dynamics
Simulations
Signal Processing Data
(Analog and Digital)
Web Content
(News, Images, Stock Market)

Projects

Explore my research and creative projects, including studies on physical environemnts, species distribution, mophological quantifications and more.

View Projects →

Selected Publications

Explore my research contributions and published works in various fields.

WP Chan et al., 2025, Historical behavioural data disentangle evolutionary and environmental drivers of recent declines in insect attraction to light, Proc. R. Soc. B 292: 20252319.
PA Lin, WP Chan (co-first) et al., 2025, The Salient Aroma Hypothesis: Host plant specialization is linked with plant volatile availability in Lepidoptera, Proc. R. Soc. B 292: 20242426.
WP Chan et al., 2024, Climate velocities and species tracking in global mountain regions, Nature, 629, 114–120.
Z Wang, WP Chan (co-first) et al., 2023, One in five butterfly species sold online across borders, Biological Conservation 283: 110092.
WP Chan et al., 2022, A high throughput multispectral imaging system for museum specimens, Communications Biology 5(1), 1318.
WP Chan et al., 2016, Seasonal and daily climate variation have opposite effects on species elevational range size, Science, 351, 1427-1439.

View full publication list on Google Scholar →

About Me

I’m a research scientist at Harvard University with a passion for discovering patterns in nature and crafting creative systems. With a background spanning ecology, AI, and design, I love working where science meets art.

Professional Experience

Founding Director

Sustainability Of Sustainability - Cambridge, MA, USA

Dec 2025 - Current
- Leading the strategic vision and early development of an interdisciplinary nonprofit integrating science, art, and digital innovation to advance sustainability and public engagement.
Research Scientist

Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA

May 2025 - Current
- Developed AI-powered hardware and software to digitize museum specimens in 3D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Roland Institute at Harvard, Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA

Jun 2023 – May 2025
- Led the development of computer vision techniques and field experiments to investigate the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on moth populations and behaviors.
Research Assistant

Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica - Taipei, Taiwan

Aug 2011 – Jul 2016
- Applied statistical modeling, causal inference, and spatiotemporal analysis to examine species distribution, biodiversity metrics, and environmental response.

Education

Doctorate:

Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA

Thesis: Evolution and diversification of Lepidoptera; Advisor: Naomi E. Pierce

Award: Kao Fellowship (2018) and Peirce Fellowship (2017).

Aug 2017 – May 2023

Postgraduate Degree:

Data Science and Management, Taipei Medical University - Taipei, Taiwan

Award: Academic Achievement Award (First Place).

Jul 2016 – Jul 2017

Master of Science:

Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University - Taipei, Taiwan

Thesis: Regional scale high resolution δ18O prediction in precipitation using MODIS EVI; Advisor: Hsiao-Wei Yuan & Sheng-Feng Shen

Sep 2009 – Jul 2011

Bachelor of Science: