Blog icon

Prof Iadine Chades

/'Ya-deen Cha-dess'/

Team Leader, Principal Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/C/I/Iadine-Chades

Contact

Please enter a valid first name

Please enter a valid last name

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter your message to send to the contact

Contact details:

GPO BOX 2583
BRISBANE QLD 4001 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Integrating AI and decision science with conservation, ecology, epidemiology and social sciences

My research is at the forefront of linking conservation science with quantitative tools from the field of artificial intelligence (AI). I develop AI methods to provide guidance on how to make smart decisions under imperfect knowledge and resource constraints. I aim to discover the mechanistic insights that explain optimal decisions in ecology, health and biosecurity to maximise positive long term impact.

During my PhD, I developed new methods to tackle complex optimisation problems for mobile robots using Markov decision processes (MDP). I discovered that MDP models can be an effective tool for improving decision-making in modern conservation science – teaching a robot to navigate utilizes the same mathematics as choosing the best conservation actions to save threatened species under uncertainty. Eager to contribute to conservation science, I changed career and turned towards decisions in ecology (2008). Combining my expertise in AI with ecological models, I solve complex applied problems in the face of uncertainty. The solutions I provide are optimal decisions that save money and allocate resources more efficiently. My work is in demand in applied pest management, health and conservation. For example, I have provided solutions to efficiently eradicate invasive weeds, control mosquito-borne diseases and protect threatened species from extinction.

The Socio-technical Innovations Team

I lead the CSIRO Socio-Technical Innovations team (9 researchers) an interdisciplinary group with expertise in artificial intelligence, decision science, biodiversity conservation, ethics, philosophy, human geography and sociology. We aim to inform and develop responsible technology for sustainability. I am particularly interested in integrating AI and social sciences from the onset of a project.

I used to be the team leader of the Conservation Decisions team (CSIRO, Land and Water) a multi-disciplinary group with expertise in ecology, systematic conservation planning, priority threat management, artificial intelligence, and decision theory. Our motivation is to solve pressing global conservation problems. We do this by connecting ecological data with decision science to determine what actions to take, when and where to get the best outcomes, while taking into account the many other competing needs of society.

Professional Areas

Academic Qualifications

  • 2003

    PhD in Artificial Intelligence
    INRIA, Univ. of Nancy HPC, France

  • 1998

    M.Sc. in Computer science
    ENS Lyon, UCBL, France

Professional Experiences

  • 1998-2001

    Assistant lecturer
    Univ. Metz / Nancy

  • 2003-2008

    Research Scientist (indefinite)
    INRA

  • 2010--

    Research Scientist (indefinite)
    CSIRO

  • 2008-2009

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Univ. of Queensland

  • 2009-2010

    OCE Postdoctoral Fellow
    CSIRO

Achievements and Awards

  • 2012

    Best paper award computational sustainability AAAI 2012: Chadès, I., Carwardine, J., Martin, T.G., Nicol, S., Sabbadin, R. & Buffet, O. (2012) MOMDPs: a solution for modelling adaptive management problems. The Twenty-Sixth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-12), pp. 267-273. Toronto, Canada. AAAI is ranked A* by ERA
    AAAI

  • 2013-2016

    Julius Career Award
    CSIRO

  • 2014

    Women in Technology award finalist (ICT)
    WIT

Other highlights

  • 2017

    Subject Matter Editor "New Technology" Ecosphere (ESA)

Related links

Publications

We have publications by Prof Iadine Chades