The strength of Future Earth lies within our unique global network of experts and innovators in sustainability research and systems science. Our community of Global Research Networks, Early Career Professionals and National and Local Committees includes academics, policy-makers, entrepreneurs and artists, all working across sectors and disciplines, to accelerate transformations to global sustainability. Each network is represented in the Future Earth General Assembly.
Global Research Networks
Future Earth engages with a wide variety of early career researchers, practitioners, artists, and academic activists. We work with researchers in the natural and social sciences and the humanities. We also reach out to professionals in policy, business, the technology industry, agriculture, civil society, and much more.
National & Local Committees
Future Earth National Committees and Structures are independently organized groups of professionals in sustainability science, representing Future Earth communities in their countries or local regions in the Future Earth global structure.
Global Research Networks Lead Liaisons
Giles Bruno Sioen
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Dr. Giles B. Sioen is co-Lead for Research and Innovation based in the Future Earth Global Hub Japan, Research Associate at the National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan, and chair of the KU Leuven Alumni Chapter Japan. Among other activities, he works on the research and innovation portfolio with colleagues from across the Future Earth community, coordinates the Future Earth Urban and Health Knowledge-Action Networks, conducts individual research, and supports a range of domestic projects and activities. His research focuses on the development of a transdisciplinary system-based guideline to reduce the impact of climate change and other disasters on cities and health. Before joining Future Earth, he worked as a project researcher at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences of the University of Tokyo in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology - System Design and Management Program where he applied sustainability science concepts in the fields of urban planning and public health using a systems approach. Dr. Sioen holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Science from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Design from KU Leuven (Luca-Arts, campus Ghent), and a Bachelor’s degree in Garden and Landscape Architecture from University College Ghent.
Judit Ungvari
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Judit Ungvari is the co-lead of the Future Earth Research and Innovation portfolio and the Research and Innovation Officer at George Mason University’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth. She came to Future Earth and Mason after 2 years at the National Science Foundation where she was a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. She was working in the Geosciences directorate on various international and integrative activities facilitating transdisciplinary global change research. Her work encompassed various programs within the Belmont Forum, Future Earth, and the Sustainability Research and Innovation initiatives. Judit is an ecologist by training, with expertise in avian biology in tropical habitats. She studied birds in the Peruvian Amazon region combining both laboratory- and field-based research and received her Ph.D. in Zoology with a certificate and concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development at the University of Florida. Her work on Amazonian forest bird communities related to the ecological mechanisms of habitat specialization, movement and dispersal between patchy habitats, combining metapopulation theory, landscape ecology, and population genetics. She also worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, addressing avian conservation issues in coffee agroecosystems in Colombia. Judit is involved in local capacity building and community outreach both in the USA and Latin America and has mentored dozens of students to complete independent research projects in Peru, Colombia and Florida. Her interests include sustainability science, science diplomacy, supporting open research efforts, and communicating science to the public.
Sophie H. L. Su
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Sophie H. L. Su is a science officer of Future Earth Taipei and Taipei Global Hub based at Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Her current main tasks are coordination and communication. Prior to this role, Sophie worked as the Managing Editor of Innovation in the Social Sciences at the College of Social Science in NSYSU, Taiwan. Also, she is experienced in teaching undergraduate programs in the Department of English at NKNU and NKFUST. Sophie holds a Ph.D. in literary studies from National Kaohsiung Normal University and has conducted research of environmental humanities affiliated with ICON of Utrecht University. Her research interests involve intersections between contemporary French philosophy, im/migrant and refugee literature/artworks with a focus on eco-decolonial theory and practice.
Low and Middle Income Countries (LICMIC) Researchers Liaisons
Ria Lambino
Deputy Director, Japan Hub
Full profile
Ria Lambino is based at the Research Institute for Humanity & Nature (RIHN) in Kyoto. She received her PhD and Masters from Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies. She has a degree in Applied Physics but has spent most of her professional career as a practitioner and researcher focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability, with significant experience in the Philippines and in Japan. Prior to joining Future Earth, she worked for WWF Philippines as Vice President for Sustainable Production and Market Engagement and had been involved in transdisciplinary research on watershed governance at RIHN. Her research interests include transdisciplinarity, environmental policy and governance, protected areas & management, water issues, sustainable agriculture & fisheries and sustainable consumption and production.
Makyba Charles-Ayinde
Latin America and Caribbean Regional Lead, USA Hub
Full profile
Makyba Charles-Ayinde serves as the Latin America and Caribbean Lead and is focused on expansion, reinforcement, and deepening of strategic relationships among sustainability, informed decision support, and transformative action organizations in the Global South with the offices and communities of Future Earth. As such, she is particularly focused on leading such activities in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean and being both a conduit and advocate to the Global Future Earth administration for that region. She came to Future Earth after efforts at the National Institutes of Health where she supported exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences and the United States Department of State where she worked as their lead Covid-19 officer within the Office of International Health and Biodefense. Makyba has previously worked with Future Earth while as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation. She worked in the Geosciences directorate on various international and integrative activities facilitating transdisciplinary global change research. Her work encompassed various programs within the Belmont Forum, Future Earth, Sustainability Research and Innovation, and Global Sustainability Scholars initiatives. Makyba is a public health scientist by training, with expertise in environmental and global health. She assessed seafood safety following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and identified highly vulnerable subpopulations to environmental disasters in the Gulf region. She also worked as a National Academies of Sciences fellow, where she analyzed programs responding to the Zika disease outbreak following hurricane Irma and evaluated novel techniques for mosquito control due to climate change within the State of Florida. Makyba is originally from the Caribbean and is extremely passionate about moving the needle on initiatives relative to sustainability science and its connectivity to public health, as well as science diplomacy within the Global South.
National and Local Committees Liaisons
Ria Lambino
Deputy Director, Japan Hub
Full profile
Ria Lambino is based at the Research Institute for Humanity & Nature (RIHN) in Kyoto. She received her PhD and Masters from Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies. She has a degree in Applied Physics but has spent most of her professional career as a practitioner and researcher focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability, with significant experience in the Philippines and in Japan. Prior to joining Future Earth, she worked for WWF Philippines as Vice President for Sustainable Production and Market Engagement and had been involved in transdisciplinary research on watershed governance at RIHN. Her research interests include transdisciplinarity, environmental policy and governance, protected areas & management, water issues, sustainable agriculture & fisheries and sustainable consumption and production.
Stephanie O'Toole
Science Officer, France Hub
Full profile
Stephanie joined the French Hub in 2023 as an intern and she is currently a Science Officer alongside pursuing a Masters in Environmental Policy at Sciences Po Paris. Her interests lie in the integration of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, environmental justice and the active translation of decolonizing sustainability science from theory to practice.
Early Career Researchers (ECR) Liaisons
Zhongming Gao
Science Officer
Full profile
Zhongming Gao joins Future Earth as a Science Officer under the Network and Capacity Building in China Hub. He holds a BSc in Atmospheric Science from Lanzhou University and a Ph.D. in Engineering Science from Washington State University. Currently, Zhongming is an associate professor at Sun Yat-sen University, focusing on boundary layer meteorology and land-ecosystem interaction.
Yu-Chun Dolly Chung
Science Officer at Center for Sustainability Science, Academia Sinica
Full profile
Dr. Yu-Chun Dolly Chung received her PhD from the Department of Management Sciences, Tamkang University, Taiwan. Her research focuses were marketing, consumer behavior, brand management, and so on. Dr. Chung had conducted sustainability-related programs during PhD and postdoctoral studies. She joined the Center for Sustainability Science in Academia Sinica; worked on Future Earth Taipei and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) International Centre of Excellence (ICoE-Taipei) as a science officer in 2020.
Global Research Networks Liaisons
Lisa Jacobson
Program manager Earth Commission, Sweden
Full profile
Lisa works in the core secretariat of the Earth Commission, where her main tasks are coordination, communications and scientific support. Lisa has a background in sustainability science, science communication, journalism and project management. She worked more than ten years as a medical journalist and then at the science-policy interface for the Swedish Cancer Society. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Stockholm University and a MSc in social-ecological resilience from Stockholm Resilience Centre. Her research interests include transformations, sustainable lifestyles, and behavioral change - particularly related to food and travelling.
Yu-Chun Dolly Chung
Science Officer at Center for Sustainability Science, Academia Sinica
Full profile
Dr. Yu-Chun Dolly Chung received her PhD from the Department of Management Sciences, Tamkang University, Taiwan. Her research focuses were marketing, consumer behavior, brand management, and so on. Dr. Chung had conducted sustainability-related programs during PhD and postdoctoral studies. She joined the Center for Sustainability Science in Academia Sinica; worked on Future Earth Taipei and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) International Centre of Excellence (ICoE-Taipei) as a science officer in 2020.
Yaxing Du
Science Officer
Full profile
Dr. Du is an associate professor at school of atmospheric sciences, Sun Yat-sen University. She received PhD from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests are centered around modelling different air quality fields within urban neighborhoods and studying the impact of turbulent transport and ventilation on the concentration fields. She is interested in understanding air quality and outdoor thermal comfort in urban environment within neighborhood scale.
Ria Lambino
Deputy Director, Japan Hub
Full profile
Ria Lambino is based at the Research Institute for Humanity & Nature (RIHN) in Kyoto. She received her PhD and Masters from Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies. She has a degree in Applied Physics but has spent most of her professional career as a practitioner and researcher focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability, with significant experience in the Philippines and in Japan. Prior to joining Future Earth, she worked for WWF Philippines as Vice President for Sustainable Production and Market Engagement and had been involved in transdisciplinary research on watershed governance at RIHN. Her research interests include transdisciplinarity, environmental policy and governance, protected areas & management, water issues, sustainable agriculture & fisheries and sustainable consumption and production.
Viola Baldeschi
Science Officer, France Hub
Full profile
Viola joined the French Hub as an intern in 2023 and she is continuing her journey with Future Earth as a Science Officer. She is a Master’s student at Sciences Po Paris in International Governance and Diplomacy where she specializes in environmental and sustainability policies. With a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of Groningen, she is particularly interested in designing policies reconciling social and environmental needs.
Sandrine Paillard
Global Hub Director, France Hub
Full profile
Sandrine Paillard is based in Paris at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) headquarters. Sandrine’s background is in the economics of science and innovation. After her postdoctoral studies on comparative innovation systems, she joined a governmental think tank to develop foresight studies on science-society relationships, involving scientists and various stakeholders. She then spent seven years at the French Agricultural Research Institute as the head of the Foresight department. She led many projects aiming to develop socio-economic scenarios in the field of agriculture, the environment and food security. Before joining Future Earth she was the lead of the Secretariat of the Belmont Forum, whose main goal is to foster international collaboration and inter- and transdisciplinary research on global environmental change.
Gilles Marciniak
Deputy Director, France Hub
Full profile
Gilles is a Senior Science Officer at the Future Earth Global Hub in Paris and the lead for the Science-Based Pathways for Sustainability Initiative. Before joining Future Earth, he worked as a research fellow at the Centre for Sustainability in Dunedin, New Zealand, where his research primarily focused on human-environment relationships in the context of climate change and on cultural transformations towards sustainability. Gilles holds a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Otago, New Zealand, a MA in Landscape Archaeology from the University of Sheffield, England, and a BA in Anthropology from California State University, Fullerton.
Rosie Harrington
Science Officer, France Hub
Full profile
Rosie joined Future Earth (French Hub) in September 2024. She recently finished a PhD in social and environmental psychology at Université Clermont Auvergne. Her interests are environmental justice, and bridging the scientific knowledge gap between academia and policymakers.
Sunhee Suk
Science Officer, Japan
Full profile
Sunhee Suk is an associate professor in Environmental Sciences at Nagasaki University. She obtained her PhD in Economics from Kyoto University. Her research interests focus on market-based policies to address environmental and climate change challenges. She analyzes the impact of these policies on the economy and the environment from a macro perspective, and studies through an empirical approach on corporate carbon management to respond to these policies. Mainly East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, etc.) is the main research area of her research.
Giles Bruno Sioen
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Dr. Giles B. Sioen is co-Lead for Research and Innovation based in the Future Earth Global Hub Japan, Research Associate at the National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan, and chair of the KU Leuven Alumni Chapter Japan. Among other activities, he works on the research and innovation portfolio with colleagues from across the Future Earth community, coordinates the Future Earth Urban and Health Knowledge-Action Networks, conducts individual research, and supports a range of domestic projects and activities. His research focuses on the development of a transdisciplinary system-based guideline to reduce the impact of climate change and other disasters on cities and health. Before joining Future Earth, he worked as a project researcher at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences of the University of Tokyo in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology - System Design and Management Program where he applied sustainability science concepts in the fields of urban planning and public health using a systems approach. Dr. Sioen holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Science from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Design from KU Leuven (Luca-Arts, campus Ghent), and a Bachelor’s degree in Garden and Landscape Architecture from University College Ghent.
Adheesh Rao
Principal Consultant | Science Officer
Full profile
Adheesh has done his Master's studies 4TU.Federation Course (TU/e, TU Delft, Twente and Wageningen) : Sustainable Energy Technology (SET), from Technische University Eindhoven (TU/e). He has worked for over 5 years in the field of sustainability. He has written a journal paper that facilitated the use of electric buses in the city of Bengaluru, India. He has also Conceptualized and designed a mechanism that is implemented in production at Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Ltd, Bidadi, Bengaluru. He has tried to bridge the gap between Sustainable Development Goals and actual implemented solutions by helping create a framework using sustainability solutions. Currently he is researching methods to have a comprehensive 'Food System Change'.
Freya Muir
Liaison, Future Earth and European Space Agency, Sweden Hub
Full profile
Freya is the research coordinator for the ESA-Future Earth Joint Program, supporting Global Research Network activities using Earth Observation. She is based at the European Space Agency ECSAT office in Oxford, UK. Freya’s PhD focused on using satellite data and AI techniques to monitor and model coastal change in real time. She also has an MSc in Geographical Information Science and BSc in Geology and Physical Geography. Her passions lie in using Earth Observation to identify and understand patterns in Earth’s surface systems, and communicating these findings to broad audiences.
Sophie H. L. Su
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Sophie H. L. Su is a science officer of Future Earth Taipei and Taipei Global Hub based at Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Her current main tasks are coordination and communication. Prior to this role, Sophie worked as the Managing Editor of Innovation in the Social Sciences at the College of Social Science in NSYSU, Taiwan. Also, she is experienced in teaching undergraduate programs in the Department of English at NKNU and NKFUST. Sophie holds a Ph.D. in literary studies from National Kaohsiung Normal University and has conducted research of environmental humanities affiliated with ICON of Utrecht University. Her research interests involve intersections between contemporary French philosophy, im/migrant and refugee literature/artworks with a focus on eco-decolonial theory and practice.
Judit Ungvari
Co-Lead, Research & Innovation
Full profile
Judit Ungvari is the co-lead of the Future Earth Research and Innovation portfolio and the Research and Innovation Officer at George Mason University’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth. She came to Future Earth and Mason after 2 years at the National Science Foundation where she was a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. She was working in the Geosciences directorate on various international and integrative activities facilitating transdisciplinary global change research. Her work encompassed various programs within the Belmont Forum, Future Earth, and the Sustainability Research and Innovation initiatives. Judit is an ecologist by training, with expertise in avian biology in tropical habitats. She studied birds in the Peruvian Amazon region combining both laboratory- and field-based research and received her Ph.D. in Zoology with a certificate and concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development at the University of Florida. Her work on Amazonian forest bird communities related to the ecological mechanisms of habitat specialization, movement and dispersal between patchy habitats, combining metapopulation theory, landscape ecology, and population genetics. She also worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, addressing avian conservation issues in coffee agroecosystems in Colombia. Judit is involved in local capacity building and community outreach both in the USA and Latin America and has mentored dozens of students to complete independent research projects in Peru, Colombia and Florida. Her interests include sustainability science, science diplomacy, supporting open research efforts, and communicating science to the public.