Geospatial Systems -

Francisco Salgado-Castillo

Biography

About Francisco

My name is Francisco, and I’m a part of Newcastle University’s fourth cohort of students in the EPSRC CDT in Geospatial Systems.

Before joining the CDT, I was a researcher at Universidad del Azuay’s Instituto de Estudios de Régimen Seccional del Ecuador (IERSE) in Cuenca, Ecuador. There, our interdisciplinary team applied geospatial and earth observation data to address social and environmental development challenges in Ecuador.

My PhD project is centred on supporting vegetation phenology monitoring (the study of plant life-cycle timing) by integrating data from existing traffic camera networks as opportunistic sensors, complemented by satellite imagery and historical weather data. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of these combined data sources for capturing valuable phenological changes. This research bridges the gap between engineering and environmental science, as such is the nature of the CDT’s work.
My interest in geospatial systems led me to the CDT, which I see as the ideal environment to develop the skills needed to serve my research community better and support the sustainable development of our countries.

My profound interest in geospatial systems has led me to believe that the CDT is the perfect place to develop the skills I need to serve my research community better and assist in our countries’ sustainable development.