Ms. Anastasia Kakouri | Environmental Health | Young Scientist Award

PhD Candidate, Department of the Environment/University Of The Aegean, Greece

Anastasia Kakouri is a highly accomplished senior GIS Specialist and PhD researcher specializing in atmospheric pollution and population exposure at the National Observatory of Athens. With a profound background in geography and geoinformatics, she has applied her expertise to spatial analysis, remote sensing, and machine learning for air quality prediction and assessment. Her research integrates high-resolution emission inventories, socio-economic data, and health parameters to address environmental challenges at urban and intra-urban scales. She is actively contributing to the intersection of air quality, sustainability, and environmental justice. As a funded researcher by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), Kakouri’s work is influencing the management of environmental risks in Greece. Her multi-disciplinary approach is fundamental to developing tools for informed decision-making in public health and urban planning.

Profile

Scopus

Education 

Anastasia Kakouri holds a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Geography and Applied Geoinformatics from the University of the Aegean, Greece, where she specialized in Applied Geoinformatics for the Management of the Natural Environment and Risks. This advanced education in geospatial technologies laid the foundation for her expertise in atmospheric pollution and spatial analysis. Prior to her Master’s, she earned a Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Environmental Science from the same university’s Department of Environment. Her academic journey was marked by a focus on integrating geoinformatics tools for environmental monitoring and risk management. Kakouri’s ongoing PhD research, funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), aims to advance the understanding of air quality and population exposure, contributing to sustainable urban development and public health policies. Her educational background and research skills form a strong base for innovative solutions in environmental science and geoinformatics.

Research Focus

Anastasia Kakouri’s research focuses on the synergy of Earth observations and geoinformatic tools to address urban atmospheric pollution and population exposure. Her primary interest lies in the application of machine learning techniques to predict air quality and assess the health impacts of pollution on populations, with a specific emphasis on urban and intra-urban environments. Kakouri is actively involved in the development of high-resolution emission inventories and the integration of remote sensing data with geostatistical models to improve spatial analysis of air pollution. Her work explores the connections between air quality, public health, and socio-economic parameters, aiming to create tools for informed decision-making at local and regional levels. Kakouri also investigates sustainability and environmental justice, ensuring that her research not only improves urban planning and environmental monitoring but also addresses health inequalities in pollution-affected areas. Her studies contribute to the broader understanding of air pollution dynamics in relation to human well-being.

Publications 

• “Spatiotemporal modeling of long-term PM concentrations and population exposure in Greece, using machine learning and statistical methods” 🌍📊
• “Analysis of secondary inorganic aerosols over the greater Athens area using the EPISODE-CityChem source dispersion and photochemistry model” 🌫️💨
• “NOx emissions by real-world fresh and old asphalt mixtures: Impact of temperature, relative humidity, and UV-irradiation” 🚗🌞
• “Enhancing air quality data from multiple platforms towards geospatial health-related information in the intra-urban environment” 🏙️📡
• “Five years of spatially resolved ground-based max-doas measurements of nitrogen dioxide in the urban area of Athens: Synergies with in situ measurements and model simulations” 🏙️📍
• “The urbem hybrid method to derive high-resolution emissions for city-scale air quality modeling” 🔬🌆
• “Integrating in situ Measurements and City Scale Modelling to Assess the COVID– Lockdown Effects on Emissions and Air Quality in Athens, Greece” 🦠💨