Maija Toivanen

I work as a researcher in the Physical Geography Research Group at the University of Oulu. My research focuses on geodiversity, the diversity of abiotic nature, and its connections to biodiversity. I am particularly interested in how geodiversity can be used in biodiversity research and conservation efforts. My doctoral research centered on the quantitative assessment of geodiversity, with a focus on using spatial data (GIS) to analyze and measure geodiversity.

In addition to my research activities, I teach GIS (Geographic Information Systems) methods.

From 2020 to 2021, I worked on the GlobalFood project, funded by the Kone Foundation, where we explored global food accessibility using modern spatial analysis techniques.

In 2023, I also earned a Master of Arts degree in science communication. My thesis examined how researchers popularize their own science and what kind of popularization strategies they use in written text.