Centre Director

Distinguished Professor Michelle Leishman

Michelle is a leader in urban greening research, focused on climate-ready species selection and co-benefits including urban cooling, pollution mitigation and biodiversity. 

She has extensive experience with industry and government, receiving national and international awards and prizes.

Board and council memberships 

Researchers

Nature Rich Cities

Connected Cities

Associate Professor Michael Chang
Associate Professor Michael Chang
School of Natural Sciences

Research interests

  • Vegetation and land cover land use monitoring
  • Change detection and 3D modelling using earth observation data with the aid of geographic information systems (GIS)
  • Using spatial analyses and modelling for biodiversity conservation, wetland monitoring, natural disaster mitigations (eg bushfires, floods and seismic deformation), public transport planning, geographical mapping of multilingualism etc

Dr Maina Mbui
Dr Maina Mbui
School of Natural Sciences

Research interests

  • Integrating landscape/seascape ecology and remote sensing, and big data to support spatially predictive modelling and mapping of key resource species
  • Applying remote sensing and big data to illuminate Global Environmental Change effects on coastal social-ecological resilience and tipping points
  • Linking geospatial data science to coastal areas, high seas, and open ocean policy and governance solutions
  • Applying remote sensing/big data to sustainability in the urban environment
  • Spatial planning for sustainable management of natural resources in land-sea environments

Dr Sara Deilami
Dr Sara Deilami
SGC Executive: Theme Leader Connected Cities
School of Engineering

Research interests

  • Electric Vehicle (EV) integration, EV infrastructure, wireless technology
  • Microgrid and renewable energy integration
  • Smart grid and advanced technologies
  • Protection of power systems, monitoring and control
  • Electrification of transport and communities/buildings

Professor Shujuan Huang
School of Engineering

Research interests

  • Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies
  • Advanced photovoltaic devices, including hot carrier solar cells, perovskite solar cells, quantum dot solar cells and tandem devices eg perovskite/Si tandem, quantum dot/Si
  • LEDs and photodetectors
  • Indoor PV devices
  • Building integrated photovoltaics eg luminescent solar concentrator windows

Dr Seyedfoad Taghizadeh
Dr Seyedfoad Taghizadeh
School of Engineering

Research interests

  • Power electronics based electric vehicle charger (plug-in/wireless)
  • Fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle charging station
  • Electrified transport (light rail, drone)
  • Microgrid and distributed energy system integration
  • Smart grids and their components

Dr Madeline Taylor
Dr Madeline Taylor
Macquarie Law School

Research interests

  • Socio-legal aspects of energy and natural resources law, as well as property and commercial law
  • Transitioning energy regulation and energy policy from comparative and socio-legal perspectives, including the governance of energy and the division of rights and benefits between the state, energy developers, landholders and communities
  • Establishing regulatory frameworks concerning energy development, spatial planning and energy justice, particularly concerning large-scale solar energy regulation, agrivoltaics, offshore wind and hydrogen

Sustainable Cities

Professor Vito Mollica
Professor Vito Mollica
Department of Applied Finance - Head

Research interests

  • Securities market design, FinTech, asset selection criteria, quantitative investment research and residential property price dynamics
  • Issues related to cryptocurrency, high frequency traders, market transparency, institutional execution costs and property marketing strategies

Health and Inclusive Cities

Professor Maria Kangas
SGC Executive - Co Theme Leader Healthy & Inclusive Cities, Dual registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia
School of Psychological Sciences - Head

Research interests

  • Assessment and treatment of anxiety, PTSD, psychosomatic and mood disturbances in distressed and healthy populations across the lifespan
  • Understanding emotion regulatory and coping strategies in adult/youth experiencing stressful life situations and/or eco-anxiety
  • Effects of nature connections in enhancing mental and physical well being

Dr Josephine Chau
Dr Josephine Chau
School of Health Sciences

Research interests

  • Designing and evaluating ‘move more, sit less’ initiatives, and investigating the social and environmental factors (people, places and policies) that affect workers’ moving and sitting, as well as their mental wellbeing and productivity
  • Impacts of Play Streets on community health and wellbeing
  • Impacts of co-operative gardens on the diet of socially disadvantaged families

Professor Viviana Wuthrich
Professor Viviana Wuthrich
Registered Psychologist with clinical endorsement
School of Psychological Sciences

Research interests

  • Translating evidence-based practice into public and private mental health settings and schools
  • Mechanisms of anxiety and depression, and on the psychological treatment of these disorders in children, adolescents and older adults across the lifespan
  • Psychological interventions for children, adolescents and older adults through randomised controlled trials

Associate Professor Mel Taylor
Associate Professor Mel Taylor
School of Social Sciences, Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre

Research interests

  • Psychosocial response and recovery
  • Uptake of protective behaviours 
  • Risk communication strategies

    Leanne Price
    Executive Officer
    T: +61 (2) 9850 6048
    E: smartgreencities@mq.edu.au

    Advisory board members

    Lucy Brogden AM
    Lucy Brogden AM
    Director
    Australian Unity and Corporate Mental Health Alliance Australia (CMHAA)
      Professor Brett Summerell
      Professor Brett Summerell
      Chief Scientist and Director Science, Education and Conservation
      Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
        Roger Swinbourne
        Roger Swinbourne
        Sustainability leadership, impact and finance consulting, Positive Futures