Luana is a PhD candidate investigating climate-adapted bushfire risk mitigation. She is an interdisciplinary scientist and engineer dedicated to reconnecting nature and society. Her work focuses on environmental risk and systemic transitions, integrating climate science, ecosystem stewardship, and community-centred strategies to better understand, manage, and reduce extreme events. Luana holds a double master’s degree in Climate Change, Diversity and Sustainable Territorial Development from the University of Padua (Italy) and the Andean Simón Bolívar University (Ecuador), where her research on climate adaptation strengthened her expertise in territorial planning and just, inclusive development. Luana has academic and professional experience across South America and Europe, contributing to projects that address multi-scale ecological and social dimensions of hazards preparedness and recovery. Her background includes work on EU-funded projects, ESG approaches, research, and process improvement initiatives. She advocates for mitigation strategies based on natural solutions and participatory, adaptive governance, and aims to contribute to global initiatives that address immediate climate-related changes while fostering long-term socio-environmental resilience. Outside of work, Luana is an avid yogi and language enthusiast, happiest when wandering through forests or escaping to quiet, desert-like beaches.
