Research team
Eric Lambin
Professor, UCLouvainProf. Lambin is a geographer and environmental scientist. Lambin’s research focuses on understanding the causes and impacts of land-use changes globally and in critical environmental « hot spots. » Working at the interface of natural and social sciences, he combines fine-resolution remote sensing data with geo-referenced socio-economic data to analyze land system dynamics. Dr. Lambin’s work continues to inform sustainable land-use governance and contribute to solutions that address the interconnected challenges of land change, ecosystem health, and socio-economic development.
Ana Buchadas
Postdoc researcherAna is a land system science researcher whose work focuses on the intricate interplay of multiple land demands and their implications for people, conservation, and climate change mitigation. Within the LUIRET project, she is broadly interested in understanding the kinds of land systems produced by renewable energy deployment in Portugal, exploring the underlying reasons, and assessing what this means for both people and the environment. Ana holds a PhD in Geography from Humboldt University of Berlin, an MSc in Ecology from the University of Porto, and a BSc in Biology from the University of Lisbon.
Valeria Zambianchi
Postdoc researcherValeria works as postdoc within the LUIRET project. Her research broadly focuses on the social and institutional processes through which humans relate to environments. Valeria is particularly interested in how land users value, perceive and govern rural landscapes in the context of climate change mitigation. Her work combines quantitative and qualitative methods. She holds a joint PhD in social sciences-geosciences from KU Leuven and Utrecht University, an MPhil from Cambridge University, an MSc from the University of Copenhagen and a BA from University of Pavia.
Caroline Bottu
PhD studentCaroline is a PhD candidate in geography. Her research focuses on the development and acceptance of solar energy projects in the French Alps. She holds a BSc in Geography from UNamur and an MSc in Agro-Environmental Management from Aarhus University.
Antoine Thill
ResearcherAntoine Thill holds a double bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science from Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles (UCLouvain). He later specialized in European and International Law through a Double Master’s Degree at the University of Zurich and KU Leuven. Antoine is a teaching assistant at UCLouvain, where he teaches first-year Bachelor’s students (Introduction to Law). He also works as a legal advisor at CLIMACT, a Belgian consultancy firm focused on the energy and environmental transition. His work primarily involves the legal aspects of support schemes for renewable energy production, carbon markets (ETS), and energy sharing—particularly within energy communities. As part of this research project, Antoine investigates energy sharing as a driver of decentralized energy systems.