Ana Horta

Associate Professor Ana Horta

Geospatial Scientist

Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Biography

Dr. Ana Horta’s research focus on the development, implementation, and validation of new statistical, geostatistical and machine learning modelling algorithms and methodologies for geoscience, environmental and health projects. Her research strengths stem from 12 years’ experience working with applied research dealing with data analytics, spatiotemporal mapping, and uncertainty assessment. Given her multidisciplinary work, Ana is involved in national and international collaborations including modelling soil properties and its influence in the soil-water balance, using drone-based imagery for wildlife monitoring, modelling habitat fragmentation, and mapping access to food environments. Since finishing her PhD in 2011, Ana has published 20 peer-review papers and 5 book chapters. She has supervised and co-supervised nine Honours and two PhD students to completion.

Research
  • Statistical, geostatistical and machine learning modelling
  • GIS, Remote & proximal sensing
  • Uncertainty assessment
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent five publications

  • Yoezer, D., Hall, A., Horta, A., & Wassens, S. (2026). Conservation status and threats to freshwater forested wetlands: A global systematic review. Biological Conservation, 315, 111704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111704
  • Toqeer, A., Hall, A., Horta, A., & Wassens, S. (Accepted/In press). A spatiotemporal machine learning framework to detect woody plant encroachment into hydrologically altered wetlands. In IEEE International Conference on Data Mining 2025 IEEE.
  • Needham, C., Jacobs, J., Zorbas, C., Alston, L., Horta, A., Schumacher, T., Fraser, P., Johnstone, M., Creighton, D., Koschel, A., Brown, L. J., Williams, A., Coates, J., Vereker, G., Vargas, C., Strugnell, C., Forrester-Bowling, T., Bolton, K. A., & Allender, S. (2025). A human-centred co-design framework for developing a web-based platform to engage with rural Australian communities: Addressing the complex issue of healthy food access. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33(2), Article e70028. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70028
  • Theron, J., Crabbe, R. A., Horta, A., & McGrath, S. (2025). A preliminary investigation of the potential of an all-weather satellite to discriminate dual-purpose crops. Crop and Pasture Science, 76(11), 1-13. Article CP24225. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP24225 
  • Jacobs, J., Strugnell, C., Orellana, L., Allender, S., Horta, A., Sacks, G., Blake, M., Bolton, K. A., Fraser, P., Brown, A., Le, H., & Needham, C. (2025). Food retail environments around rural Victorian primary schools: Associations with student diet and weight outcomes. Health and Place, 95(103506), Article 103506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103506