Kirsty Watkinson is a Research Associate in the School of Environment, Education and Development at The University of Manchester. Kirsty’s expertise includes JavaScript, Python, SQL and PHP programming languages, parallelisation of spatial analysis, agent-based modelling, the use of Open Source geospatial software and manipulation of PostgreSQL/PostGIS databases. Kirsty has a background in physical geography and has previous experience working as a GIS Consultant for an ecology consultancy firm.

Kirsty’s role on the MEaSURE project contributes towards Objective 4, including the production of scale-adjusted GI exposure surfaces, the development of a statistical model to model potential changes, trade-offs and synergies with focal ecosystem services and disservices under different landscape scenarios, and the development of an agent-based model of human, deer and tick interactions to model Lyme disease risk under different landscape scenarios.