Biography

Yao Zhang is a postdoctoral scholar in the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His current research uses remote sensing and model simulations to evaluate the ecosystem responses to climate change. He is also interested in using new remote sensing dataset (SIF and VOD) to understand the plant physiological responses to drought and heat. Prior to joining Dr Keenan’s group, Dr. Zhang worked as a postdoc researcher with Pierre Gentine at Columbia University. He obtained his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Oklahoma in 2017. His Ph.D. studies focused on the simulation of terrestrial gross primary production using light use efficiency models and the solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence. He developed a widely used global GPP product using the Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM) at high temporal and spatial resolution.