Zahra Emlaei is a PhD candidate in the Cumberland Plain Research Program at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University.

Her research focuses on how plant stress and resilience evolve in response to climate change and habitat fragmentation. By integrating controlled climate experiments, field-based sampling, and satellite remote sensing, she aims to develop mechanistic models that assess ecosystem health across fragmented urban and agricultural landscapes. Her findings enhance our understanding of how ecosystems respond to environmental stressors, providing critical insights for developing effective conservation strategies and guiding restoration efforts.