Extra-ordinary Professor
I am a remote sensing scientist, with a background in forest ecology and plant physiology. I am primarily focusing on the use of drones (UAVs) and on thermal and hyperspectral remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems. I am investigating how these remote sensing technologies can be applied to detect biotic and abiotic stress in agricultural and silvicultural ecosystems, as well as for ecological research in natural ecosystems.
I am a tenure track professor on UAV remote sensing at Ghent University, Belgium, where I am co-leading the UAV Research Centre. At FABI, I am involved in the satellite lab of Remote Sensing of Plant Health.
Research topics: UAV, thermal remote sensing, hyperspectral, sun-induced fluorescence, Jatropha curcas
Personal website at the University of Ghent.
Nzuza P, Schroder ML, Slippers B, Maes WH. (2026) Spectral responses to larval and artificial defoliation in Eucalyptus dunnii: Implications for UAV-based detection of Gonipterus damage. Drones 10.3390/drones10040250
Nzuza P, Schröder ML, Heim RJ, Daniels L, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Germishuizen I, Sivparsad B, Roux J, Maes WH. (2025) Assessing Gonipterus defoliation levels using multispectral unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data in Eucalyptus plantations. Ecological Informatics 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103301