Who We Are

Staff Head of Finance and Administration

Mariko Shimazu

Expert Chief Scientist, Global Environmental Intelligence Lab

Dr. Manoochehr Shirzaei is a recognized expert in space-borne synthetic aperture radar technology and using satellite, remote sensing and AI technologies to inform groundwater resource management, green energy system development, and developing equitable adaptation strategies to address natural and anthropogenic land subsidence, sea-level rise, and coastal hazards in the context of a changing climate.

Expert Executive Co-Director, UNU Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change

Prof. Nima Shokri

Professor Nima Shokri’s work bridges fundamental science and applied engineering to tackle soil health and degradation, water risks, and land-use sustainability at local and global scales.

Expert Senior Research Associate

Dr. Stella Shumba

Stella Shumba is a Senior Research Associate, who is committed to evaluating climate risk insurance demand and impact across diverse regions, with a focus on integrating gender perspectives.

Expert Policy Research Associate

Thandazile Sibindi

Thandazile Sibindi is a nurse educator, midwife, and policy research associate working at the intersection of climate justice and health.

Expert Professor

Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel

Melissa Siegel is a Professor of Migration Studies at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University and Head of Migration Studies at UNU-MERIT.

Expert Research Associate

Jerome Sardido Silla

Jerome Sardido Silla is a Research Associate for the Innovation and Education (IVE) Programme at UNU-IAS.

Expert Adjunct Assistant Professor

João Marco Silva

João Marco Silva is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the United Nations University (UNU-EGOV) and an Assistant Professor at the University of Minho's Department of Informatics. He is also a Senior Researcher at INESC TEC’s High Assurance Software Laboratory (HASLab), specializing in information security, network security, and energy-aware networking.

Advisory Board Member International Advisory Board Member

Dr. Mariângela Simão

Dr Mariângela Batista Galvão Simão currently serves as Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance at Brazil’s Ministry of Health.

Expert Professorial Fellow

Prof. Dr. Ronald Skeldon

Prof. Ronald Skeldon is a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Geography at the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex.