Geospatial Research Institute

I am interested in how information-rich computational systems can better support human discovery and learning, particularly through tools that enable more interpretable and collaborative forms of understanding and communication. Focus areas include:

• Intelligent systems for environmental and social challenges
• GIScience and spatial data science
• Representation across machine learning models, natural language, and domain-specific data
• Dynamic and automated scientific workflow systems
• Decentralized knowledge systems

Tim Chambers is an Associate Professor and environmental epidemiologist at the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.

My research examines how environmental exposures and public policy shape population health and health equity in Aotearoa New Zealand. My current programme focuses particularly on drinking water quality and health, including nitrate contamination, microbial water quality, reproductive and child health, cancer, and enteric disease.

I use large-scale linked health and administrative data, environmental monitoring data, geospatial methods and exposure modelling to investigate environmental health risks at a population level. A major focus of my work is developing better ways to characterise historical drinking water exposures, including the integration of water-quality monitoring, spatial data and machine-learning approaches. This work enables national epidemiological studies that would otherwise not be possible.

Recent research includes a national cohort study of more than 735,000 births examining prenatal nitrate exposure and preterm birth, alongside work on nitrate and congenital anomalies, drinking water quality and enteric disease and the potential relationship between nitrate exposure and cancer.

My research has a strong translation and policy focus. I am interested not only in identifying environmental health risks, but in improving environmental monitoring, public-health surveillance and the evidence used to set drinking water and environmental standards. This includes a particular interest in freshwater and drinking water issues within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā and in ensuring that research contributes to equitable health outcomes.

I welcome collaborations and postgraduate research projects in environmental epidemiology, drinking water and freshwater health, spatial epidemiology, linked administrative data, environmental exposure modelling and evidence-informed public-health policy.

I am a remote sensing scientist specializing in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and LiDAR to investigate how surface processes contribute to observable environmental change. My research spans glaciology, fluvial geomorphology, and oceanography, with applications in Antarctica, Patagonia, and New Zealand. I have worked extensively on ice-ocean interactions, glacier velocity dynamics, fjords and river systems, integrating SAR, optical, and LiDAR datasets to analyze surface evolution. Currently, my focus is on using airborne LiDAR and satellite-based remote sensing to study braided river geomorphology and glacier dynamics in New Zealand. My work also explores the fusion of high-resolution SAR data with optical satellite imagery and machine learning to quantify long-term environmental change. Beyond research, I actively engage in science communication and mentoring, contributing to university teaching and international collaborations in Earth observation and environmental monitoring.

My research, Transformational Computing, integrates cutting-edge technology and health, with a strong emphasis on creating impactful solutions to improve health outcomes. It spans diverse areas including neurorehabilitation, mental health, health-focused assistive technologies, and learning and training technology. My focus is on reshaping the design, development, and deployment of technology to enhance human health and functional capacity.

Neurorehabilitation:

Early contributions included pioneering the use of Extended Reality (XR) applications to support recovery for individuals with acquired brain injuries. This work continues to inform my development of innovative rehabilitation technologies for conditions such as stroke recovery and multiple sclerosis.

Mental Health:

I have developed augmented intelligence systems to support online community moderators and virtual AI companions designed to assist individuals navigating complex life circumstances. These initiatives reflect a commitment to leveraging technology to enhance mental well-being and resilience.

Health Training and Simulation:

My projects include creating immersive virtual environments for emergency responders and healthcare professionals, enhancing their preparedness and decision-making skills through validated simulation systems.

Food Psychology and Behaviour:

Recent collaborations have focused on understanding cravings and eating behaviours using immersive virtual reality, with applications in behavioural psychology, obesity prevention and smoking cessation.

Through these interdisciplinary endeavours, I aim to advance user-centred solutions that are both innovative and evidence-based, fostering collaboration between researchers, health professionals, technologists, educators, domain experts and end-users.

Professor Simon Kingham is a leading expert in transport geography, urban mobility, and evidence‑informed transport policy. His research focuses on active transport, sustainable mobility, transport emissions reduction, road safety, urban form, and the health and environmental impacts of transport systems.

He has extensive experience at the research–policy interface, including serving as Chief Science Advisor at Ministry of Transport for six years to May 2024, where he provided strategic scientific advice on national transport planning, infrastructure investment, transport equity, mode shift, and low‑carbon transport transitions. His work has directly informed government approaches to cycling infrastructure, school travel planning, public transport uptake, and transport accessibility.

At the University of Canterbury, Simon leads and contributes to multidisciplinary projects on transport behaviour, mobility justice, public health and transport, urban sustainability, and future cities, working closely with central government, local councils, and community partners. His research is highly applied, with a strong focus on improving real‑world mobility outcomes, reducing emissions, and supporting long‑term transport strategy and policy development.

He supervises postgraduate research across transport geography, mobility and accessibility, environmental planning, and urban futures, and is a frequent contributor to national advisory groups, public commentary, and sector capability building.

My research centres on the rigorous application of state-of-the-art statistical methodology, with particular expertise in Bayesian inference and spatio-temporal modelling. I am passionate about ensuring that advanced methods are implemented correctly and meaningfully across disciplines, so that statistical analysis translates into genuine community impact. My work spans environmental epidemiology, biological sciences, soil science, and public health, where complex data structures demand careful modelling and principled uncertainty quantification.

I’m interested in understanding urban trees and the critical roles they play in cities around the world. The trees that comprise urban forests face considerable abiotic and biotic stress, but help to make cities liveable, providing residents with healthy, sustainable, and desirable places to live and work. To that end, I research the growth, function, management, and ecosystem services of trees in urban environments. I also lead the ‘New Zealand Urban Forest Initiative’, which connects researchers and urban forest stakeholders, such that new research can be used to inform best practices in urban forest management in New Zealand.

I also study the spatial and temporal dynamics of New Zealand’s indigenous forests and exotic forest plantations using a range of quantitative techniques. I work extensively with remote sensing or earth observation techniques, including lidar, as well as aerial and satellite imagery. In this capacity, I'm the co-Director of the ‘Forest Observation with Remote Sensing Technologies’ FOReST research group at the School of Forestry.

Professor John Reid is a researcher whose work focuses on the intersection of sustainability, indigenous knowledge systems, environmental governance, and technological innovation. Based within the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, his research brings together systems thinking, te ao Māori, and interdisciplinary science to address complex social, economic, and environmental challenges facing Indigenous communities and wider society.  His work spans environmental management, regenerative land use, Māori economic development, and the governance of emerging technologies, with particular interests in environmental digital twins, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and data systems for environmental decision-making. He has led and contributed to major national research programmes that connect researchers, industry, iwi, and government agencies to develop new approaches to sustainability and resilience.  

Matt is the Director of the Geospatial Research Institute | Toi Hangarau and a Professor in the School of Earth and Environment | Te Kura Aronukurangi. His research is in the broad areas of hydrology and geographical information science, with a primary focus in the assessment of flood risk using computational modelling and geospatial analysis techniques, and the assessment of uncertainty. He is particularly interested in the use of remote sensing and machine learning methods within environmental analyses. Matt is part of the Rongowai team, developing algorithms for assessing surface water from remote sensing signals obtained from an Air New Zealand Q300 aircraft.

He is leading the development of environmental “digital twins”, which automate complex analytical processes using disparate data, particularly those from remote sensing. Building on a successful prototype, current research is embedding nature-based scenarios for flood mitigation within automated modelling of flooding, enabling community-centred risk assessments. In related work, he is using virtual reality to communicate the implications of flooding for communities.

Originally from the UK, prior to coming to New Zealand in 2017 he was based in Trinidad & Tobago for several years, where he helped to establish academic teaching programmes and carried out research in the implications of climate change on water resources across the Caribbean. He maintains interest in the region as an affiliate of the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI), based at the ODI in London, UK.