Sonia Vanderhoeven

Sonia Vanderhoeven is a lecturer at VUB and ULB, a researcher at SONYA-ULB, and a plant biologist by training. Her work lies at the interface between science, policy and practice, with a particular focus on biodiversity and its role in addressing societal challenges. Drawing on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, her research explores the interactions between ecological systems, environmental governance, and society, with particular expertise in biological invasions and the development of science-based decision-support tools. She works across multiple governance levels to strengthen the integration of biodiversity knowledge into public policy, both in Belgium and internationally, and serves as Science Officer at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform. In the Nature and the City course, she invites students to examine how ecological processes, biodiversity, and nature-based thinking can contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and just cities.