Gabriela Schaepman-Strub

Gabriela Schaepman-Strub is an Associate Professor of Earth System Science at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich. She serves as Scientific Director of the Swiss Polar Institute (part-time) and represents Switzerland in multiple Arctic science initiatives including the Arctic Council's Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research (SKPH). Her research focuses on spatial ecology, remote sensing applications, and Arctic biodiversity with emphases on land surface albedo dynamics, vegetation-radiation interactions, and climate change impacts. She leads the Remote Sensing and Spatial Ecology Research Group and has held visiting roles at NASA JPL and institutions in the Netherlands and the US.

Her academic journey includes a PhD in Natural Sciences (2005) and postdoctoral fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation (2005) and European Space Agency (2005-2007). She chairs international bodies like the CEOS Land Product Validation subgroup and advises the Swiss Polar Institute's scientific strategy. Her work bridges field observations, satellite data analysis, and indigenous knowledge to address Arctic ecosystem transformations.

Key research areas include Arctic greening trends, wildfire dynamics, permafrost thaw impacts, and biodiversity conservation strategies. She has pioneered studies linking vegetation trait variability to ecosystem functioning across tundra regions. Over 80 peer-reviewed publications demonstrate her contributions to remote sensing validation methodologies, Arctic energy budget dynamics, and climate-biodiversity feedback mechanisms.

Scientific achievements include co-developing the Tundra Trait Team database and advancing understanding of radiative forcing changes in Siberian forests. Awards include prestigious postdoctoral fellowships and leadership roles in international polar research networks. Her current projects investigate drought impacts on tundra energy budgets and Arctic fire regimes using experimental manipulations and satellite time series analysis.