Assistant professor Matti T. Vaaja (born 1983), is professor of digital photogrammetry at Aalto University (appointed in June 2017). He is specialized in close-range and terrestrial laser scanning systems and their applications. He is also appointed as Associate Professor of laser scanning and forestry applications at Institute of Mountain Science, Shinshu University, Japan (appointed in July 2017).

His doctoral thesis (2014) from Aalto University focused on mobile laser scanning and change detection studies in a riverine environment. Since 2010, Vaaja has served in various teaching and research positions at Aalto University and as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Laser Scanning Research. Currently, he is the Vice Director of Master's programme in Geoinformatics at Aalto. In addition, he is the supervisor of ten doctoral thesis in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing. He coordinates doctoral education network 4D GEO-IT. He has contributed over 100 publications in the fields of laser scanning, photogrammetry, and geoinformatics, including ~60 refereed scientific publications with ~2700 citations and H-index 24 (Scholar).

Research expertise:

Laser scanning, Photogrammetry, 3D-point cloud processing, Environmental change detection and time-series studies, Forest mapping, Ground topography and vegetation structure mapping, Laser scanning applications, Mobile and terrestrial laser scanning, Development of 3D measurement systems.