![[Translate to Englisch:] Bild Fungomeli, Gomez, Sladek](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/5/csm_Bild_Fungomeli_Gomez_Sladek_903c318f8a.png)
Dr. Maria Fungomeli is a researcher at the National Museums of Kenya whose work focuses on biodiversity patterns and conservation issues in Kenya’s coastal forests. Her research examines plant and butterfly diversity and explores biodiversity conservation approaches that integrate ecological and socio-economic factors. In addition to her fellowship, Dr. Fungomeli was invited as a keynote speaker at the 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology at the University of Passau, organized by Prof. Christine Schmitt and supported by PICAIS, where she addressed the challenge of reconciling biodiversity conservation with the needs of local communities.
Dr. Alba Gómez García’s research focuses on the representation of women aged 65 and older in contemporary European theatre. In collaboration with her host, Prof. Susanne Hartwig, her project Images of Female Aging in Contemporary European Theatre examines how theatrical representations of older women shape perceptions of aging, particularly with regard to the gendered and socio-economic dimensions of demographic aging processes in Europe. During her PICAIS-funded research stay at the University of Passau, she further deepened her analysis through engagement with local research perspectives and systematically advanced the evaluation of her findings. Dr. Gomez structured her stay into two separate research phases.
Dr. David Sládek of the University of Defence in Brno conducts research on AI-supported weather forecasting for autonomous drone systems. During his PICAIS-funded research stay at the University of Passau, he collaborated with Prof. Matthias Kranz (Chair of Computer Science with a Focus on Embedded Systems) on methods for quantifying uncertainties in automated weather forecasts and communicating them in a user-oriented manner to support decision-making processes. Dr. Sládek is currently continuing his research at the University of Passau and remains closely involved in collaborative work with Prof. Kranz’s chair.