Maria is a PhD candidate at the Department of Human Geography at Lund University. She holds a Master of Science in Human Geography from the same institution. Her research interests include GIS, spatial analysis, remote sensing and population studies. She has worked as a Lecturer in GIS at Lund University since 2015. She has also been involved in various research projects involving the intersection of remote sensing and the social sciences including the application of remotely sensed data such as MODIS, Landsat, UAV, and DMSP-OLS nighttime lights to studies in agriculture and development, migration and population, and disaster management.