{"id":2,"date":"2022-08-28T09:18:43","date_gmt":"2022-08-28T09:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qufaculty.qu.edu.qa\/fshabani\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-06-17T07:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T07:41:35","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/qufaculty.qu.edu.qa\/fshabani\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I am an Environmental Scientist<\/strong>, Climate Change Impact Modeler<\/strong>, and Geospatial Ecologist<\/strong> specializing in biodiversity forecasting<\/strong>, species distribution modelling<\/strong>, ecological niche modelling<\/strong>, climate-change impact assessment<\/strong>, nature-based climate solutions<\/strong>, GIS<\/strong>, remote sensing<\/strong>, machine learning<\/strong>, conservation planning<\/strong>, invasive species risk assessment<\/strong>, biosecurity<\/strong>, environmental decision-support systems<\/strong>, and higher education teaching<\/strong>. My research integrates ecology<\/strong>, biogeography<\/strong>, spatial data science<\/strong>, climate projections<\/strong>, species traits<\/strong>, remote sensing<\/strong>, and AI-enabled modelling workflows<\/strong> to address biodiversity and climate challenges under global environmental change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am recognized among the Stanford\/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists<\/strong> for multiple consecutive years, including 2022\u20132025<\/strong>. My research profile includes 96 peer-reviewed journal articles<\/strong> and 103 scholarly outputs<\/strong>, including journal articles, a preprint, conference proceedings, and a book chapter. According to my Google Scholar profile, my work has received more than 6,600 citations<\/strong>, with an h-index of 40<\/strong> and an i10-index of 77<\/strong>. Since 2021 alone, my research has received more than 5,200 citations<\/strong>, with an h-index of 35<\/strong> and an i10-index of 71<\/strong>. My publication portfolio has an FWCI of 2.878<\/strong>, with approximately 75% of journal articles published in Q1 journals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am currently an Assistant Professor at Qatar University<\/strong> and founder of EcoSpatialLab<\/strong>, where I lead research on climate-risk modelling<\/strong>, biodiversity informatics<\/strong>, species distribution modelling<\/strong>, trait-based ecology<\/strong>, ecological decision-support tools<\/strong>, conservation planning<\/strong>, and applied environmental management<\/strong>. I am also an Adjunct Research Fellow at Flinders University<\/strong> in Environmental Modelling and Climate Change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Qatar University, I contribute to research leadership<\/strong>, teaching<\/strong>, curriculum development<\/strong>, student supervision<\/strong>, program assessment<\/strong>, academic service<\/strong>, and external engagement<\/strong>. I have taught 14 distinct undergraduate, master\u2019s, and doctoral courses<\/strong> since 2022, including courses in ecology<\/strong>, weather and climate<\/strong>, earth systems<\/strong>, GIS and databases<\/strong>, geospatial methods<\/strong>, biodiversity<\/strong>, graduate seminar<\/strong>, lab rotation<\/strong>, senior project<\/strong>, and graduate research and thesis<\/strong>. I serve as Course Coordinator for Basic Ecology<\/strong>, leading a multi-member teaching team and overseeing curriculum renewal<\/strong>, assessment moderation<\/strong>, laboratory coordination<\/strong>, quality assurance<\/strong>, and student progression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also serve as Assessment Coordinator for Undergraduate Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)<\/strong> in the Biological Sciences<\/strong> and Environmental Science<\/strong> programs, supporting curriculum mapping<\/strong>, assessment alignment<\/strong>, quality-assurance reporting<\/strong>, and evidence-based curriculum improvement<\/strong>. I have also contributed as a Lead Faculty Member for Blackboard Ultra implementation<\/strong>, including faculty workshops, course-page migration, assessment setup, guidance documentation, and mentoring colleagues in digital teaching practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research portfolio includes successful leadership of competitive research grants and applied projects, with a research funding portfolio exceeding USD 1.37 million since January 2024<\/strong>, including more than USD 1.21 million in external competitive funding<\/strong> and more than USD 850,000 as Lead Principal Investigator<\/strong>. My funded projects include climate vulnerability modelling for Qatari vulnerable plants<\/strong>, ecological niche modelling tools for biological invasions<\/strong>, sustainable native and exotic plant growth modelling for Qatar until 2070, genetic diversity of Qatari native plants, and undergraduate research-capacity enhancement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My current research leadership includes the development of QPlants<\/strong>, a web-based ecological and spatial decision-support platform integrating plant traits<\/strong>, occurrence records<\/strong>, and climate-suitability outputs<\/strong> for Qatar\u2019s plant species. Through EcoSpatialLab<\/strong>, I lead an interdisciplinary team involving postdoctoral researchers<\/strong>, research assistants<\/strong>, undergraduate students<\/strong>, and postgraduate students<\/strong> working on Qatar\u2019s flora<\/strong>, species traits<\/strong>, climate suitability<\/strong>, joint species distribution modelling<\/strong>, plantation planning<\/strong>, biodiversity conservation<\/strong>, and environmental decision support<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have extensive international research experience across Australia<\/strong>, Qatar<\/strong>, the Middle East<\/strong>, Europe<\/strong>, South America<\/strong>, T\u00fcrkiye<\/strong>, Japan<\/strong>, and Malaysia<\/strong>. Prior to joining Qatar University, I held four postdoctoral research fellowships<\/strong> across Australian universities, including the University of New England<\/strong>, Macquarie University<\/strong>, and Flinders University<\/strong>. I also worked with Australian government agencies, including Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries<\/strong>, and the NSW Department of Regional NSW \u2013 Primary Industries<\/strong>. These roles strengthened my applied expertise in biosecurity<\/strong>, weed-risk assessment<\/strong>, invasive species modelling<\/strong>, climate-induced range shifts<\/strong>, ecological forecasting<\/strong>, GIS<\/strong>, and government-facing environmental decision support<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I completed my PhD in Ecology<\/strong>, with specialization in Environmental Modelling<\/strong>, Climate Change<\/strong>, and GIS<\/strong>, at the University of New England, Australia<\/strong>, where I received the Chancellor\u2019s Doctoral Research Medal<\/strong>. I also hold an MSc in Physics of Soil, Soil Erosion and Conservation<\/strong> from the University of Tehran<\/strong>, and a BSc in Soil Science<\/strong> from the University of Guilan<\/strong>. This background allows me to integrate ecology<\/strong>, soil science<\/strong>, land degradation<\/strong>, climate modelling<\/strong>, GIS<\/strong>, and biodiversity science<\/strong> across both terrestrial and applied environmental systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courses Taught<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undergraduate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIOL 103 \u2013 Freshman Seminar<\/strong>
GEOG 242 \u2013 Weather and Climate<\/strong>
BIOL 221 \u2013 Basic Ecology + Laboratory<\/strong>
BIOL 496 \u2013 Senior Project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Postgraduate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIOL 501 \u2013 Earth Systems<\/strong>
BIOL 502 \u2013 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Databases<\/strong>
BIOL 505 \u2013 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science<\/strong>
BIOL 530 \u2013 Graduate Research and Thesis<\/strong>
BIOL 600 \u2013 Advanced Graduate Seminar<\/strong>
BIOL 602 \u2013 Laboratory Rotation<\/strong>
BIOL 603 \u2013 Laboratory Rotation II<\/strong>
BIOL 613 \u2013 Geospatial Methods<\/strong>
BIOL 616 \u2013 Biodiversity<\/strong>
BIOL 617 \u2013 Earth Systems Modelling \/ Special Topic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous Teaching Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to GIS<\/strong>, University of New England
Remote Sensing<\/strong>, University of New England
Spatial Analysis<\/strong>, University of New England
Introduction to GIS<\/strong>, Flinders University
Climate Change Modelling<\/strong>, Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Brazil
Geospatial Applications<\/strong>, Bo\u011fazi\u00e7i University, T\u00fcrkiye<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic and Research Appointments<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am currently an Assistant Professor at Qatar University<\/strong>, founder of EcoSpatialLab<\/strong>, and Adjunct Research Fellow at Flinders University<\/strong> in Environmental Modelling and Climate Change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before moving to Qatar, I held research and teaching appointments as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Fellow, Flinders University, Australia<\/strong>
Research Fellow and Guest Lecturer, Macquarie University, Australia<\/strong>
Research Fellow, University of New England, Australia<\/strong>
Instructor, University of New England, Australia<\/strong>
Climate Change Modeller and Consultant, Biosecurity Queensland, Australia<\/strong>
Climate Change Modeller, Department of Regional NSW \u2013 Primary Industries, Australia<\/strong>
Climate Change Modeller and Consultant, Wild Matters, Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These appointments provided extensive experience in ecological modelling<\/strong>, climate-change impact assessment<\/strong>, GIS<\/strong>, remote sensing<\/strong>, machine learning<\/strong>, invasive species modelling<\/strong>, biodiversity risk assessment<\/strong>, biosecurity<\/strong>, environmental data analysis<\/strong>, and applied decision-support systems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Supervision and Researcher Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My supervision record includes four completed PhD theses<\/strong>, five completed master\u2019s theses<\/strong>, and one ongoing master\u2019s co-supervision<\/strong>, primarily as co-supervisor. Supervised research has contributed to 15 peer-reviewed publications<\/strong>. I have mentored PhD students<\/strong>, master\u2019s students<\/strong>, undergraduate senior project students<\/strong>, research assistants<\/strong>, and postdoctoral researchers<\/strong>, supporting their development in modelling<\/strong>, spatial analysis<\/strong>, data interpretation<\/strong>, scientific writing<\/strong>, publication<\/strong>, and research project management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through EcoSpatialLab<\/strong>, I provide leadership and mentoring for a growing interdisciplinary team working on biodiversity modelling<\/strong>, climate-risk assessment<\/strong>, plant traits<\/strong>, species distribution modelling<\/strong>, Qatar flora<\/strong>, invasive species<\/strong>, and environmental decision-support tools<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editorial Roles and Professional Service<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I serve, or have served, in editorial roles with internationally recognized journals, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frontiers in Remote Sensing<\/strong>
Journal of Biogeography<\/strong>
Ecology and Evolution<\/strong>
Scientific Reports<\/strong>
PeerJ<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My professional service includes 99 verified peer reviews<\/strong> and 61 verified editor records<\/strong> in my Web of Science Researcher Profile. I have reviewed for 38 academic journals<\/strong>, including Methods in Ecology and Evolution<\/strong>, Earth-Science Reviews<\/strong>, Science of the Total Environment<\/strong>, Environmental Pollution<\/strong>, Journal of Environmental Management<\/strong>, People and Nature<\/strong>, Global Ecology and Conservation<\/strong>, Agronomy for Sustainable Development<\/strong>, Journal of Cleaner Production<\/strong>, and Climate Risk Management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have also served as an external grant reviewer<\/strong> for the Marsden Fund Council, New Zealand<\/strong>, Khalifa University \u2013 United Arab Emirates University<\/strong>, and Khalifa University of Science and Technology<\/strong>. In addition, I have contributed as a PhD thesis examiner<\/strong>, PhD Confirmation of Candidature assessor<\/strong>, committee member<\/strong>, seminar organizer<\/strong>, 3-Minute Thesis judge<\/strong>, and postdoctoral representative<\/strong> for major research and academic programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Institutional Leadership and Service<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My institutional leadership includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assessment Coordinator for Undergraduate Program Learning Outcomes<\/strong> in Biological Sciences and Environmental Science
Basic Ecology Course Coordinator<\/strong>
Lead Faculty Member for Blackboard Ultra implementation<\/strong>
Member of academic-quality<\/strong>, curriculum<\/strong>, assessment<\/strong>, teaching-workload<\/strong>, graduate-studies<\/strong>, and departmental committees<\/strong>
Designer of digital platforms for senior-project evaluation<\/strong>, applicant assessment<\/strong>, greenhouse booking<\/strong>, and senior-project proposal collection<\/strong>
Chair and member of outreach<\/strong>, seminar<\/strong>, research-enabling<\/strong>, and sustainability-conference committees<\/strong>
Postdoctoral representative for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage<\/strong>
Representative for Environmental Modelling and Climate Change<\/strong> disciplines at the University of New England<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major Research Projects<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qatar Climate-Risk and Biodiversity Modelling Program<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Qatar University<\/strong>, I lead research on climate-risk assessment<\/strong>, biodiversity modelling<\/strong>, and ecological decision-support systems<\/strong> for Qatar\u2019s native flora and ecosystems<\/strong>. This work includes developing a national plant trait database<\/strong>, modelling current and future climate suitability<\/strong>, applying single-species and joint species distribution models<\/strong>, integrating traits and phylogeny<\/strong>, validating model outputs, and developing public-facing tools<\/strong> for conservation<\/strong>, restoration<\/strong>, plantation planning<\/strong>, and biodiversity management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

QPlants<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am developing QPlants<\/strong>, a web-based ecological and spatial decision-support platform for Qatar\u2019s plant species. The platform integrates species occurrence records<\/strong>, plant traits<\/strong>, climate-suitability maps<\/strong>, future projections<\/strong>, and ecological information<\/strong> to support biodiversity conservation<\/strong>, restoration planning<\/strong>, plant selection<\/strong>, and environmental decision making<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EcoSpatialLab<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I established and lead EcoSpatialLab<\/strong>, an interdisciplinary research group focused on climate-change impact modelling<\/strong>, ecological niche modelling<\/strong>, spatial ecology<\/strong>, biodiversity informatics<\/strong>, environmental risk assessment<\/strong>, AI-enabled ecological decision support<\/strong>, and conservation planning<\/strong>. The lab works across Qatar<\/strong>, Australia<\/strong>, and international systems, with projects spanning plant ecology<\/strong>, invasive species<\/strong>, climate vulnerability<\/strong>, trait databases<\/strong>, joint species distribution models<\/strong>, and web-based ecological platforms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage \u2013 Global Ecology Lab<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, I joined the Global Ecology Lab<\/strong> as an Associate Investigator<\/strong> in palaeo-ecological vegetation modelling<\/strong> for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage<\/strong>, a major AUD 46 million<\/strong> research centre. My work involved applying advanced global dynamic vegetation models<\/strong>, including LPJ-GUESS<\/strong>, and bioclimatic envelope models<\/strong> to reconstruct and simulate vegetation dynamics<\/strong> across long time periods. This research explored how historical and future climate change<\/strong>, wildfire<\/strong>, CO\u2082 change<\/strong>, human disturbance<\/strong>, and invasive species<\/strong> influence Australia\u2019s vegetation<\/strong>, biodiversity<\/strong>, and ecosystem resilience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Plant Where Project<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I contributed to the Which Plant Where project<\/strong>, a major AUD 12 million<\/strong> national initiative supporting climate-ready urban greening<\/strong> in Australia. In this project, I modelled climate suitability<\/strong> for approximately 2,500 plant species<\/strong> and contributed to the development of online decision-support tools<\/strong> to guide species selection<\/strong> for Australian urban landscapes under current and future climate scenarios<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WEED FUTURES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I contributed to WEED FUTURES<\/strong>, a nationally significant project assessing current and future weed threats in Australia<\/strong>. This work supported biosecurity planning<\/strong> by modelling climate-induced distribution shifts<\/strong> of invasive plants and identifying regions of emerging weed invasion risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biosecurity Queensland Collaboration<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through collaboration with Biosecurity Queensland<\/strong>, I applied species distribution modelling<\/strong> and climate-risk assessment<\/strong> to evaluate climate-induced range shifts<\/strong> and emerging weed risks across Queensland. This work supported biosecurity<\/strong>, risk prioritization<\/strong>, and environmental management<\/strong> under changing climate conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of New England and National Climate Projects<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the University of New England<\/strong>, I taught GIS<\/strong>, Remote Sensing<\/strong>, and Spatial Analysis<\/strong>, and contributed to postgraduate supervision. I also served as a GIS specialist<\/strong> for the Commonwealth Department of Environment Pacific Climate Change Project<\/strong>, a national initiative delivered through UNE, involving spatial analysis<\/strong>, environmental data processing<\/strong>, climate-related geospatial applications<\/strong>, and applied decision support<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Interests<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate-change impacts on biodiversity<\/strong>
Species distribution modelling and ecological niche modelling<\/strong>
Biodiversity forecasting<\/strong>
Nature-based climate solutions<\/strong>
Climate-risk assessment<\/strong>
Vegetation modelling<\/strong>
GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis<\/strong>
Machine learning and AI-enabled environmental modelling<\/strong>
Biodiversity conservation and conservation planning<\/strong>
Invasive species and biosecurity risk assessment<\/strong>
Trait-based ecology and biodiversity informatics<\/strong>
Joint species distribution modelling<\/strong>
Ecological decision-support systems<\/strong>
Big-data analysis in ecology and environmental science<\/strong>
Soil erosion, land degradation, and environmental vulnerability<\/strong>
Urban ecology and climate-ready planting<\/strong>
Fire-risk and habitat-suitability modelling<\/strong>
Palaeo-ecological and dynamic vegetation modelling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional Recognition and Awards<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanford\/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist, 2022\u20132025<\/strong>
Vice-Chancellor\u2019s Award for Early Career Researchers, Flinders University<\/strong>
Chancellor\u2019s Doctoral Research Medal, University of New England<\/strong>
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, University of New England<\/strong>
Keith and Dorothy Mackay Travelling Scholarship, University of New England<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My academic profile integrates internationally recognized research impact<\/strong>, externally funded research leadership<\/strong>, applied geospatial innovation<\/strong>, higher education teaching<\/strong>, curriculum coordination<\/strong>, PLO assessment<\/strong>, student and researcher supervision<\/strong>, editorial and peer-review service<\/strong>, government-facing applied research<\/strong>, and strong international collaboration in environmental modelling<\/strong>, climate-change impact assessment<\/strong>, biodiversity conservation<\/strong>, biosecurity<\/strong>, nature-based climate solutions<\/strong>, and geospatial decision support<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can be reached via email at <\/a>fshabani@qu.edu.qa<\/a>, AND farzin.shabani@flinders.edu.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EcoSpatialLab: link<\/a> ORCID: link<\/a>  Scopus ID: link<\/a> Google Scholar: link<\/a> Publons: link<\/a> ResearchGate: link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/ecospatiallab.com\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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