UNSW Bushfire Experts

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

A/Prof. Lim is an expert in using machine learning methods for bushfire susceptibility mapping. 

UNSW Canberra

Dr Ghodrat is a researcher in bushfire and fire safety engineering at the School of Engineering & Technology, UNSW Canberra.

School of Science, UNSW Canberra

Adjunct Professor McRae is an expert in bushfire behaviour and modelling, and fire weather.

School of Science, UNSW Canberra

Dr Sutherland is an expert in bushfire modelling with a particular interest in ember movement.

UNSW School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences 

Associate Professor Mooney works on long perspective on fire regimes using charcoal in sediments. He is interested in climate-fire links and human influences on fire, for example, Indigenous vs post-colonial fire regimes.

ARC Training Centre for Fire Retardant Materials and Safety Technologies, UNSW Engineering 

Professor Yeoh is Director of the Centre which is developing mist systems for liquid retardants and environment-friendly fire-fighting foam as well as other bushfire-relevant research. 

Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, UNSW Science 

Professor Green’s research takes a solutions-focused approach to interdisciplinary research on climate change, energy policy, air pollution and human health. 

UNSW School of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Professor Ge and his team are developing robust bushfire mapping techniques, which are crucial to fire modelling, firefighting and relief management. 

Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Science 

Professor Evans is an expert in land-atmosphere interactions including the coupled mechanisms that control the spread of extreme fire. 

School of Science, UNSW Canberra

Professor Sharples is an internationally recognised expert in dynamic bushfire behaviour and extreme bushfire development.

Practical Justice Initiative, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

Professor Moss’s main research interests include projects on natural disaster insurance, disaster vulnerability as well as the ethical issues associated with climate transitions.

School of Risk & Actuarial Studies

Fei Huang is an expert in insurance discrimination and pricing fairness. She explores ways to make insurance equitable, affordable, and sustainable in the context of AI and climate change.

UNSW Law & Justice

Professor Dixon has co-authored a policy proposal to provide a comprehensive, market-based and equitable approach to climate change. 

UNSW Business School 

Scientia Professor Holden has written a report on a carbon dividend plan for Australia to address climate change. He has had extensive consultations with government and business at the highest levels regarding his plan and the issue of climate change in general.

UNSW Business School 

Professor Foster specialises in behavioural economics and Australian policy and can speak about the impact of natural disasters on the welfare of communities.

UNSW School of Electrical Engineering 

Professor Fletcher has expertise in how powerlines and electrical power supplies can be affected by bushfires, how powerlines might start fires, the methods of avoiding powerlines causing fires, microgrids and mobile power supplies, renewable power and batteries and energy storage.

Anita Lawrence Professor of High Performance Architecture, UNSW School of Built Environment

Professor Santamouris has expertise in urban heat and its impact on energy, the environment and health. 

Urban Development and Design, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

Mr Driver has expertise in the design of urban places to build resilience and decrease the impact of bushfires on communities, including street design, water sensitive urban design, green infrastructure, and heat mitigation strategies.

School of Built Environment, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

A/Prof. Nazarian is an urban climatologist who specialises in heat and ventilation in the built environment and its affects on cities and the people who live in them. She leads the Climate Resilient Cities Research Lab.

GRID Lab, UNSW School of Built Environment

Professor Zlatanova is an internationally recognised expert in 3D spatial modelling, data management and spatial analysis.  

Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Safety, UNSW Engineering 

Professor Bradford is exploring the potential for transmission line systems and communications systems to provide passive resistance to fire loading. 

School of Population Health, UNSW Medicine & Health

Dr Gudes is a researcher with expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial analysis, dashboards development, and spatial science. 

School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Medicine & Health

Dr Jaiswal’s research focuses on the impact of bushfire smoke on eye health. She has conducted field research with fire fighters and controlled studies to examine the impact on the eye’s surface. 

School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Jalbert leads research to understand the effects of bushfire smoke on the eyes of Australians, including those involved in fire and emergency services.

The George Institute of Global Health

Professor Jenkins is an expert in lung diseases, including the respiratory impacts of bushfire smoke.

Kirby Institute at UNSW

Professor MacIntyre is currently conducting a clinical trial of masks, respirators and outdoor air avoidance for reducing the health effects of bushfire smoke exposure.

School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Stewart is available for expert evaluation of possible carcinogenic hazards from bushfire smoke.

UNSW Medicine & Health

Dr Cowie specialises in air pollution epidemiology and has broad expertise in air pollution health effects, including for bushfire and woodsmoke exposures. 

Black Dog Institute

Professor Harvey is an expert on the mental health impacts of emergency service work, including bushfire response.

School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Steel heads a program of clinical research into the impact of trauma on veterans, first responders, refugees, asylum seekers and civilian populations. 

South West Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Marks has expertise in the health effects of exposure to bushfire smoke and air pollution. 

School of Population Health, UNSW Medicine & Health

Professor Jalaludin has extensive experience in air pollution epidemiology and in the acute effects of bushfire smoke and health.

School of Population Health, UNSW Medicine & Health

Associate Professor Heslop conducts research to understand how emergency response systems (medical services, critical infrastructure, emergency response services) operate under changing conditions and assumptions. 

School of Psychology, UNSW Science

Professor Bryant and his team have treated PTSD in emergency service workers (police, fire and ambulance workers), and in journalists.

Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice

Professor McAdam's expertise relates to evacuations, displacement, migration and relocation in the context of bushfires, other disasters, and the adverse impacts of climate change. 
 

UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

Dr Brady is a disaster recovery practitioner, who moved into research in order to improve community support after disasters. She is a Senior Research Fellow at HowWeSurvive, and the Technical Adviser for Australian Red Cross Emergency Services, and the host of the ABC’s After the Disaster podcast.

UNSW School of Built Environment

Professor Sanderson has 30 years experience working across the world in emergencies and resilience. He has held senior posts in NGO and academic sectors, leading teams, developing strategies and undertaking training, research and consultancy.

School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences

Associate Professor Cornwell’s research involves using ecological tools, especially functional traits, to understand the effects of climate change on terrestrial biodiversity.

Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW Science

Professor Letnic is an expert on wildlife responses to fire, restoration of ecosystems and the management of invasive species.