Vivian’s first exposure to marine mammal research in Malaysia came in 2010 when she volunteered for the Langkawi Dolphin Research Project, when she was a marine science student in UKM. As her interest in marine mammals grew, she is pursuing her Ph.D at the University of Malaya and leading the Matang Dolphin Research project which was started in 2013, studying the ecology of coastal cetaceans (particularly Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins) in Matang, Perak. Being a Council Member of the MareCet Research Organization since 2013, she has had the opportunities to be involved in MareCet's research and conservation efforts for marine mammals in Malaysia.