Astrid Vannoppen studied Bio-Science Engineering, with a focus on soil and water management at the KU Leuven.  After obtaining her degree, she continued at the KU Leuven to obtain a PhD in Bio-Science Engineering. During her PhD she studied patterns and trends in growth of beech and oak trees and the effect of biodiversity on forest resilience in Belgian forests using dendrochronological techniques.

It is by looking at a distance that we are able to see the bigger picture.

In August 2019, Astrid joined the VITO Remote Sensing Agricultural Applications team as a post-doctoral researcher. At VITO she will study the impact of climate change and climate extremes on the agricultural sector in Latvia, Russia and Turkey using remote sensing techniques. Since comprehensive and scientific based information is missing to be able to make the agricultural system more climate resilient, the aim is to get insight in the multiple risks the agricultureal sector faces due to observed and future climate change.