Professor Yan Liu is a Spatial Data Scientist and a Quantitative Human Geographer, specialising in Geographical Information Science (GIS), urban modelling and geo-simulation, spatial data analytics, and spatially integrated social studies. Her research focuses on developing cutting-edge methods for the collection, analysis and modelling of spatial data in order to provide science-based decision tools and data-driven solutions to a range of social-environmental challenges that we face in our urban and regional space. Her research is multidisciplinary in nature, connecting human geography with geomatic engineering, environmental, social and behavioural sciences and spatial science education through the innovative use of spatial data and technologies, with the overall aim to advance human knowledge and understanding of the spatial evolution of cities, the underpinning driving forces, the interactions between people and the physical and built-environment they live in, along with the planning of resilient cities and communities in response to the global challenges such as population growth, ageing, climate change and global pandemics. In the era of Big Data, the analysis of space, place and people—through the use of spatial (big) data—becomes pivotal in developing a holistic and grassroots understanding of our cities in order to achieve sustainable and healthy living in our urban space. Yan's profound expertise in GIS and spatial data analytics as well as her broad general knowledge across multiple disciplines enables her to tackle these important social-spatial issues necessarily from a multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary perspective. Yan has recently been appointed to the ARC College of Experts (2022-2024). She also serves in the Scientific Advisory Board of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) (2021-2023), and in the Executive Committee of the International Geographical Union (IGU) Applied Geography Commission (2021-2023), amongst others.
Affiliate of Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science
Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science
Faculty of Science
Associate Professor
School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Research interest: Monitoring ecosystem health of coral reefs and seagrass habitats, integrating field and remote sensing image datasets, and the developing applied cost-effective mapping and monitoring approaches. Developed approaches have been adopted as standard practice globally, making a difference in conservation of these valuable habitats. The long term monitoring studies at Heron and Moreton Bay formed the basis for the development of mapping and monitoring over time and space at local to global scale. See here major research impact
Major projects:
Long term monitoring of benthic composition at Heron Reef (2002-ongoing).
Long term monitoring of seagrass composition and abundance in Moreton bay Marine Park (2000-ongoing).
Smart Sat CRC Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Seagrass and Coral Reefs 2023-2027.
Developement of Underwater Field Spectrometry and Benthic Photo Collection and Analysis
3D GBR Habitat Mapping Project 2015 - ongoing:
Global habitat mapping project 2019-2023 Allen Coral Atlas .
Current position: Associate Professior in Marine Remote Sensing leading the Marine Ecosystem Monitoring Lab. . Academic Director Heron Island Research Station and affiliated researchers with Centre for Marine Science and Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science
Capacity Building and Citizen Science: Capacity: under/post graduate courses; Msc/PhD supervision, workshops/courses; Remote Sensing Educational Toolkit, and online courses (e.g. TNC).Strong supporter of citizen science based projects, as trainer, organiser and advisor for Reef Check Australia, CoralWatch, Great Reef Census and UniDive.
