Research Statement
I'm driven by a desire to protect our world's forests in the face of climate change. I use technology to give them a voice, combining data from satellites, digital mapping, and machine learning to see the big picture. This allows me to keep a pulse on the health of our ecosystems, understand how landscapes are changing, and forecast the challenges forests will face in a warming world. I believe the best science happens collaboratively, so I work to share these insights and build practical tools that empower us all to be better stewards of our planet.
Research Areas
🛰️Remote Sensing of Forest Ecosystems
Analysis of satellite, UAV, and field data to monitor forest health, land-cover change, and degradation trends. Focus on developing quantitative indicators for ecosystem assessment using advanced GIS and machine learning techniques.
🌎Climate Change Impacts on Forests
Studying the long-term effects of climate change on forest ecosystems through modeling and projection of future scenarios using multispectral satellite imagery and statistical analysis.
🛰️Geospatial Machine Learning
Designing and implementing AI/ML pipelines (including SVM and ANN) for automated land-cover classification, forest-degradation detection, and environmental monitoring.
🌎Forest Disturbance & Wildfire Analysis
Application of remote sensing and GIS for wildfire risk assessment, fire-behaviour modelling, and understanding the ecological impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
🛰️Capacity Building in GIS & Statistics
Development of educational resources, lab manuals, and hands-on training for undergraduate and professional audiences in GIS, remote sensing, and statistical methods.
Current Research
Projection of Forest Degradation under Climate Change
Developing models to forecast long-term forest degradation in Ontario using multispectral satellite data and climate projections. Involves advanced GIS, machine learning, and ecological analysis.
Land-Cover Classification with Machine Learning
Applying SVM and ANN methods to generate high-accuracy land-cover maps from satellite and UAV imagery for environmental monitoring.
Educational Innovation in GIS & Remote Sensing
Designing and updating laboratory manuals and hands-on tutorials for university-level courses in GIS, remote sensing, and statistics.
Community Leadership & Outreach
Organizing climate-change awareness events and serving as president of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association.