Dr. Maria P. Plaza

Maria P. Plaza has studied Forestry Engineering (BSc), Natural Environment and Forestry (MSc), Bioinformatics and Biostatistics (MSc) and her PhD is in Biology. She has been engaged in research since 2012, always in the inter-disciplinary field of Environmental Exposure and Health Impacts. In particular, her expertise is in Aerobiology, aeroallergen detection and quantification, impacts on human health and forecasting all-level spatiotemporal interactions towards the aim to provide accurate and timely risk alerts.

As a young researcher, Maria has published more than 15 international scientific publications in transnational scientific journals with peer review, thanks also to the collaboration and experiences in research group of international recognition in Spain, Denmark, Portugal and Germany. Maria participates in the COST networks ADOPT (https://adopt-bioaerosol.eu/) as active Working Group member on New approaches in detection of pathogens and aeroallergens.

Today, Maria leads the group Human Exposure Science at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Augsburg together with Dac-Loc Nguyen. Research within that group focuses on atmospheric science and health, which includes both monitoring and development of new methods for the research on bioaerosols and their influence on human health. The task also includes the development of a computational facility that can be used in atmospheric science and related disciplines such as remote sensing, aerobiology and symptomatology. Moreover, Maria is the junior leader in the group IMPACCT (Improved decision-support for Managing the risk from Environmental disease to Public Health in a Climate Change perspective) funded by BMBF, whose main objective goes beyond the mere understanding of the highly complex feedback loops in the atmosphere and the multiple influencing factors and beyond identifying key atmospheric processes that affect public health in a climate change context. IMPACCT integrates observations, remote sensing, past and future environmental data, patient data, new technologies in big data management and modelling. It works as an innovative group within a network of international and national partners.

Big DataAir QualityEnvironmental SciencePublic HealthClimate ChangeAir QualityAerobiologyPollen MonitoringApplied BiostatisticsEcologyForecasting