Luísa Lucchese PhD

Luísa Vieira Lucchese is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research applies Remote Sensing, Spatial Data Science, and Machine Learning, including deep learning and Explainable AI, to study geomorphology, river water quality, extreme events, and natural hazards in an integrated manner. She led the development of the SWOT Confluence SSC module (a NASA dataset of suspended sediment concentration and flux for every major river on Earth) using deep learning applied to satellite imagery, and leverages this model for cascading natural hazards analyses. Her doctoral dissertation on spatial modeling of rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrence was awarded the CAPES Theses Award, the highest distinction for a PhD dissertation defended in Brazil.