Colin Johnstone

Biography

Colin Johnstone is a researcher in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group of the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program. His work at IIASA focuses on forest modeling using the sophisticated Global Forest Model (G4M) – a cornerstone of the BNR program.

His primary spheres of expertise include physics, mathematics, numerical modeling, software development, and machine learning.

Johnstone began his academic journey in astrophysics, earning both a master’s degree and a PhD from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He spent nearly a decade researching the Sun, Sun-like stars, and the atmospheres of Earth-like planets, aiming to understand the formation of habitable conditions on Earth and outside of our solar system. From 2020 to 2023, he worked in biomedical research, developing scientific software and new machine learning techniques for medical practice and research applications. In 2023, Johnstone joined IIASA, where now focuses on forest modeling.

Last update: 21 MAY 2024