Assistant Professor
Department of Forest Resources Management
Research Themes
Climate resilience | Biodiversity restoration | Human well-being | Nature recovery | Social-ecological systems
Geographical Area(s) of Research
Canada | Colombia | Chile | Spain | Indonesia | Australia
Top Three Research Questions on Biodiversity Solutions and Sustainable Coexistence of People and Nature
1. How to enhance biodiversity in cities through the co-creation of forests and long-term stewardship
2. How to transform urban greenspaces to simultaneously support human wellbeing and healthy urban forests
3. How to enable diverse people to experience urban greenspaces in ways that are more inclusive and can deepen human-nature relationships
Bio
I am interested in how urban forests and other greenspaces foster human wellbeing and social-ecological resilience to climate change. I also study how ecosystem health and people-nature connection can be strengthened through hyper-local greening actions and city-level transformations. Overall, the research coming from my team aims to support equitable nature-based solutions that can contribute to more resilient and healthier futures.
In most of my research projects, I apply interdisciplinary approaches by combining methods from quantitative modelling, remote sensing, and spatial analysis with participatory visioning, action-research, and arts-based qualitative assessment. I value the integration of different forms of knowledge, and actively promote the incorporation of local traditional knowledge in my projects. To present, I have collaborated with Indigenous groups, local communities and associations, national and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations, and several research institutes in more than 20 countries across the world.
I completed my PhD at Oxford University as part of the Ecosystems Lab at the Environmental Change Institute after working for eight years with the Stockholm Environment Institute and three agencies of the United Nations. At the UBC Urban Forestry program, I coordinate the Urban Forests Research Hub, and have been instructor of UFOR 220 Urban Forest Inventory and Assessment, UFOR 200 Urban Forest and Wellbeing, and UFOR 402 Urban Forest Governance.