Zahra Gharineiat is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland , affiliated with the School of Surveying and Built Environment . She has over 8 years of tertiary teaching experience and 11 years of administrative responsibilities. Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv), University of Tabriz Master of Engineering Management (MEngMgt), University of Melbourne PhD, University of Newcastle Research Interests : Zahra specializes in Geomatic Engineering and Machine Learning , with a focus on applications like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) , LiDAR , Digital Twins , and Remote Sensing . Her work spans Earth Science Observations , Satellite altimetry , and Geodetic data capturing , integrating Computational Modelling and Geoinformatics for innovative solutions. Professional Affiliations : She is a member of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI) and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) . Her research affiliations include the Centre for Future Materials (CFM) , Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences (IAESS) , and Centre for Astrophysics (CA) .
Ross Brown is an Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in the School of Computer Science, specializing in virtual and augmented reality technologies. His academic journey includes a PhD from QUT and extensive contributions to immersive technology research and education. Position: Associate Professor Institution: Queensland University of Technology School: School of Computer Science Education: PhD (Queensland University of Technology) Professor Brown's research focuses on Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Data Visualisation, Process Visualisation, Information Visualisation, Computer Graphics, and Games Technology within the broader field of Artificial Intelligence and Information and Computing Sciences. His work spans applications in healthcare, education, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and industrial training, demonstrating the versatility of immersive technologies across multiple domains. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on practical applications of immersive technologies, with research spanning healthcare rehabilitation, geological education, urban engagement, surgical applications, and environmental monitoring. The interdisciplinary nature of his work is evident in collaborations with researchers from diverse fields including medicine, environmental science, urban planning, and education. Augmented Reality applications in surgery and rehabilitation Virtual Reality systems for geological education and training Immersive environments for industrial process training VR/AR applications for environmental monitoring Location-based VR for esports and social interaction Professor Brown has received significant recognition for his expertise, including multiple keynote invitations to international conferences such as BPM2017 in Lisbon, Assurance webinars on trusted autonomous systems, and Engage2 conferences. He has served as an International Researcher of Note for ARC funding assessments and has been a regular speaker at Microsoft Tech Ed since 2006. His academic service includes reviewing for major conferences including MSRA Gaming & Graphics, Graphite, AVI, and BPM, as well as serving as a reviewer for journals such as Future Generation Computer Systems and Knowledge and Information Systems. Professor Brown has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students, with completed projects focusing on visual immersion, collaborative business process modeling, and 3D virtual environment validation.
Mohammad Taleai is a Professor in Geoinformatics at the Faculty of Geomatics, K.N.Toosi University of Technology and an Adjunct Professor at the Geospatial Research Innovation and Development (GRID) group within the School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales (UNSW) . Research Focus: Deep Learning & Artificial Intelligence for Geospatial Applications, Urban planning/resilience, Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), Location-Based Social Networks (LBSNs), 3D city modeling for Smart Cities, Digital Twins, and Urban Policy-Making. Leadership: Founder of the Iranian Center of Excellence in Geospatial Information Technology (GIT), former CEO of a GIS-focused private company, and director of the Spatial Decision Making & Smart Cities Lab . Collaborations: Built partnerships with University of Twente , University of Hanover , University of Berlin , University of Wuhan , and Hiroshima University for international grants and student co-supervision. Impact: Led over 10 funded research/industry projects, supervised PhD/MSc students (names not listed), and authored 180+ refereed papers and two books on GIS and Geo-Visualization.
Dr. Balamurugan Soundararaj is a Research Fellow at the City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in geospatial analysis, urban planning, and data visualization. With 8 years of experience in academia and industry, he contributes cutting-edge research to digital valuation models, predictive analytics, and spatio-temporal urban studies. His work integrates machine learning and geospatial technologies to address property market dynamics, transportation systems, and smart city challenges. Fields of Interest: Urban and Regional Planning Geospatial Data Modeling Information Visualization Spatial Statistics Human Geography Grants: 2021: API Australian Property Research and Education Fund Grant for 'Towards understanding regional property markets' 2021: ADA Faculty Research Partnership Scheme Grant for Steiner/Montessori school system research 2018: UCL Yusuf Ali Travel Grant for Complex Systems Conference presentation Scientific Recognition: 2019: Best Paper (Early Career Researcher), GIS Research UK 2015: Best Paper, Construction Track, RICS Annual Conference His research employs advanced analytical methods to visualize and model large-scale spatial data, focusing on transparent communication of complex urban systems. Key publications analyze bikeability improvements, property market tools, and footfall dynamics using Wi-Fi signals.
Leonardo Portes dos Santos is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia (UWA), affiliated with the School of Earth and Oceans and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He holds a PhD in Sport Sciences from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), complemented by a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Physics. His interdisciplinary research merges statistical physics, complex systems, and data analytics to address challenges in geosciences, sports, and biomedical fields. He leads data science initiatives for industries like Rio Tinto and Woodside, and develops geophysical visualization tools for decision-making. He mentors HDR students in Python and data science. Education: PhD in Sport Sciences (2014), UFMG MSc in Physics (1999), UFMG Bachelor’s in Physics (1996), UFMG Research Interests: Complex systems applied to data science, nonlinear time series analysis, network science, and multidisciplinary collaborations in geosciences (oil/gas reservoirs), human motor learning (EEG and behavioral data), and cancer immunotherapy. His work emphasizes bigdata visualization, risk assessment, and fusion of geophysical responses. Grants & Projects: Led the Subsurface Big Data Visualisation and Analysis: Oil/Gas Reservoirs project (2018–2019), funded by Woodside. His research contributes to UN SDGs related to sustainable resource management and innovation. Awards: 2016 Honorary Award at the 6th International Conference on Nonlinear Science and Complexity 1994 Junior Researcher Award in Exact Sciences (Earth Sciences and Engineering) Labs & Teams: Involved with UWA’s Centre for Exploration Targeting and the ITTC Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE) group. His work integrates machine learning and network science for industry-relevant problems.
Dr. Grace Shephard is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES) at the Australian National University (ANU), hosted within the Geophysics-Geodynamics groups. She received her PhD from the University of Sydney's EarthByte Group and has held postdoctoral and research roles at Norwegian Centres of Excellence, including the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED) and the Centre for Planetary Habitability (PHAB). Currently, she leads the POLARIS project, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, investigating the Arctic's evolution in deep time. Her research focuses on plate tectonics, mantle dynamics, and paleogeography, utilizing digital Earth models to explore geological processes over millions of years. Education: BSc (Adv.) (Honours I) and PhD from the University of Sydney Research Interests: Plate tectonics, paleogeography, mantle structure, GPlates software, science communication, and STEM education initiatives Dr. Shephard is actively involved in science communication, advocating for accessible data visualization through initiatives like the Batlow color scheme and promoting STEM engagement through programs such as Curious Minds and STEMPals. Her work bridges computational geodynamics and observational geology, with contributions to understanding Arctic geology and mantle processes. Notable projects include the Tasmanide Geodynamics and Mineral Systems and collaborations on the SVALGEOL project. She is affiliated with the University of Oslo as a Senior Researcher and contributes to open data and figure-sharing platforms like S-ink.org.
Dr. Michael Roach is an Adjunct Researcher in Earth Sciences at the University of Tasmania's School of Natural Sciences. His research focuses on geophysics, structural geology, and electromagnetic methods applied to mineral exploration, mine waste management, and environmental geoscience. He has collaborated on projects involving Tasmania's geological structure, tailings dam stability, and geophysical imaging of subsurface features. Education: Doctoral training in geophysics and exploration methods, with expertise in integrating geophysical data with geological mapping and machine learning. Research Interests: Geophysical exploration methods (electromagnetic and gravity/magnetic), structural analysis of ore deposits, geotechnical assessment of mine tailings, and environmental applications of geophysics. His work bridges academic research with industry needs in mineral exploration and environmental remediation. Key Projects: Geophysical characterization of mine tailings dams for stability assessment 3D modeling of granite intrusions in Tasmania Immersive visualisation tools for field-based geoscience education Environmental monitoring of legacy mine sites using geophysical techniques Supervision & Teaching: Advised over 15 PhD and MSc students on topics ranging from mineral exploration methods to geophysical inversion techniques. Contributed to educational grants advancing geoscience visualization and fieldwork pedagogy. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposit Research and industry partners like GHD Pty Ltd on tailings management and geophysical innovation.
