Hi there! My name is Bart Bussmann (ESR 14) and I’m from The Netherlands. Unlike many other people, you can make me happy with data, code, numbers, and algorithms. After doing a broad bachelor at University College Twente, I specialized in machine learning during my MSc. Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam. Therefore, I’m probably one of the ESRs in FutureArctic that knows least about ecology, but I’m very eager to learn!
During my PhD at the University of Antwerp and imec, I will explore how we can use machine 
learning and the vast amounts of data to discover, understand, and validate underlying mechanisms in ecology and the changing climate. In my research, I will be developing algorithms that can combine the large quantities of observational data (such as satellite data, station-based sensors, and field measurements) with small-scale experimental data. By working with neural networks I’m hoping to find causal models that can go beyond the commonly adopted correlation techniques. With these causal models, we can hopefully better describe what the future of the Arctic is going to look like, or what can be done to mitigate the changes.
I’m very excited to work on such an interdisciplinary project as FutureArctic and work with a team of ESRs that includes both ecologists and computational scientists! In my experience, working in teams with people from different backgrounds can often greatly improve the quality of the work. If you want to follow my research journey, you can follow me on Twitter.