Pir Mohammad

Research Assistant Professor

Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Pir Mohammad is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). He is affiliated with the JC STEM Lab of the Earth Observations and Research Center of Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics. Prior to this role, he served as a postdoctoral fellow in the same department at PolyU. He earned his PhD in Remote Sensing from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, specializing in urban heat island studies in Indian cities. His doctoral research was recognized with the Excellence in Doctoral Research Award, highlighting his contributions to fundamental research in the science stream.

Pir’s research interests encompass remote sensing, urban climate, extreme weather events, heat mitigation, and thermal comfort. He has authored 23 peer-reviewed journal publications in esteemed journals, including GISciences & Remote Sensing, Science of the Total Environment, Urban Climate, and Building & Environment. Notably, one of his papers was recognized as a highly cited work in the Quaternary International journal according to Web of Science. In addition to his research, Pir serves as a reviewer for many academic journals. He has presented his findings at numerous national and international conferences, and his work has been featured in various Indian media outlets, including The Times of India and Bharat Times. Furthermore, he contributed to the town planning policy document for Ahmedabad, India, published by the World Bank Group in 2020. Pir is also a life member of several professional organizations, including the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), the Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG), and the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

Academic Degree

PhD (Remote Sensing), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India, 2016-2021
MTech (Geological Technology), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India, 2013-2016
BSc (Hons. in Geology), Cotton College, Gauhati University, Assam, India, 2010-2013

Experience

Research Assistant Professor: Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (03/2025 - onwards)
Postdoctoral Fellow: Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (04/2022 - 02/2025)
Junior Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow: Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India (07/2016 - 11/2021)

Research Interest

My research focuses on the intricate nexus between urban environments, climate, and sustainability. I am particularly interested in leveraging remote sensing, GIS, and geospatial techniques, alongside environmental and climate models, to tackle pressing issues related to urban environmental and climatic changes. Currently, my research encompasses the following themes:

Remote Sensing of Urban Environments: Utilizing remote sensing and GIS techniques to monitor and analyze urban landscapes.
Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: Investigating the impacts of extreme weather events and their vulnerability in the phase of climate change scenarios.
Heat Mitigation and Thermal Comfort: Explores strategies to reduce urban heat and enhance thermal comfort for residents, integrating climate-responsive design and sustainable practices.

News

March 1, 2025: Pir joined as the "Research Assistant Professor" in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
January 16, 2025: New research article on "Asian heat stress variations in a changing climate: Implications for disproportionate urban and rural population exposure" has been published in Habitat International journal (Link)
November 1, 2024: My Google Scholar reached 1000+ citation mark.
September 23-26, 2024: Attended four-day workshop on “GEO Symposium and ODOK Workshop” organized by Group on Earth Observation at Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University in Hangzhou, China.
August 7, 2024: Published first author paper on heat wave indices in Nexus, Cell Press (Link)
April 25-26, 2024: Attended two days international conference on “Nature-based Solutions for Urban Infrastructure” organized by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
September 2-7, 2023: The JC STEM Lab Team Highlights their Experience at the ISPRS 2023 Geospatial Week in Cairo (Link)
April 6, 2023: Pir received the Excellence in Doctoral Research Award for outstanding PhD work in the Science stream under the category of Fundamental Research in the 22nd convocation of IIT Roorkee.
December 3, 2022: Participated in “Advanced Urban Remote Sensing Workshop” help from 3-4th Dec 2022, organized by the University of Hong Kong
April 19, 2022: Dr. Pir joined as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His work is associated with the JC STEM Lab of Earth Observations, led by Prof. Qihao Weng.
November 22, 2021: Pir defended his Ph.D. thesis entitled "Urban Heat Island Study And Modelling Optimal Urbanization Pattern In Selected Indian Cities" at the Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India.