My background bridges human geography and geoinformatics. I began as a GIS specialist in urban and regional planning, working with spatial and non-spatial data, and I bring that mix into my research. In my doctorate I study spatio-social networks: how social relationships and geographic space shape one another, using large behavioural datasets such as mobile phone records and academic co-authorship networks.

Research interests: spatio-social networks · spatial context · urban systems and settlements · social issues · data analysis and visualisation

Under review

Zhvania, L., Puura, A., Aasa, A., & Krisp, J. M. Spatial Mobility and Personal Networks Across Settlement Types.

In preparation

Zhvania, L., et al. Cross-border academic mobility and co-authorship networks (working title; in preparation).

Talks

• 2026 · Mobile Tartu 2026, Tartu, Estonia: "Cross-Border Academic Mobility from Publication Affiliations: Evidence from Co-authorship Networks (2000–2024)"
• 2025 · FAI Graduate Retreat, Sion, Switzerland: "The Structure and Dynamics of Spatio-Social Networks" (short talk)
• 2025 · GI-Runde, Munich, Germany: "Graph Analysis for Spatial Social Networks"
• 2024 · FinEst Centre for Smart Cities, Tallinn, Estonia (online): "Exploring Social Networks in Spatial Contexts"
• 2024 · EuroCarto (European Cartographic Conference), Vienna, Austria: "Spatial Analysis of Social Networks in Urban Environments: Integrating Big Data and Cartographic Techniques for Understanding Mobility Patterns"

Posters

• 2024 · Mobile Tartu 2024, Tartu, Estonia: "Exploring Social Networks and Spatial Patterns of Information Dissemination in Passive Mobile Positioning Data" (with A. Aasa, A. Puura)
• 2022 · EUROBIKE Young Researchers Forum, Frankfurt, Germany: Cycling as commuting means in the mountainous Tbilisi, Georgia

• 2026 · PhD School, Mobile Tartu 2026, Tartu, Estonia. Workshop: "Correcting Biases in Mobile-Phone Mobility Data: The DEBIAS Framework"
• 2025 · PhD School "The Threads of Complex Networks 2025", Florence, Italy
• 2025 · FAI Graduate Retreat, Sion, Switzerland
• 2025 · Spring School "Complex Networks: Theory, Methods, and Applications" (9th edition), Lake Como School of Advanced Studies, Italy
• 2024 · PhD School, Mobile Tartu 2024, Tartu, Estonia. Workshop: "Designing Mobility Hubs: A Hands-On Workshop"

Courses

(designed and taught as instructor; University of Augsburg)

• SS 2026 · Spatial Network Analysis (MSc)
• WS 2025/26 · Advanced R and GIS for Spatial Network Analysis (MSc)
• SS 2025 · R and GIS for Geoinformatics (BSc)
• WS 2024/25 · Geoinformationssysteme (GIS) und Kartographie II (BSc)
• SS 2024 · Geoinformationssysteme und Kartographie II (BSc)

Teaching assistance / co-supervision

• WS 2022 · Geospatial Analysis with R (within "Geospatial Analysis with Python and R"), University of Tartu. Co-supervised course sessions and graded assignments; not involved in course design.

Supervision

• WS 2025/26 · Co-supervised and graded a BSc thesis, University of Augsburg.