About & Portfolio

The scientist behind the dashboards — and a live project that shows exactly how Voilà Analysed works.

Voilà Analysed emblem

Dr Walaa Shtai

Founder & Data Analyst

PhD Agricultural Systems R · Power BI · Excel EN · AR · IT Adelaide, SA

The scientist behind the numbers

I started in agricultural science — a BSc from the University of Damascus, an International Master in Horticultural Science from Bologna, and a PhD at the Free University of Bolzano studying how grapevines cope with heat, drought and light stress. Four peer-reviewed publications later, I knew my favourite part wasn't the fieldwork. It was the moment the data finally spoke.

After moving to Adelaide in 2024, I brought that rigour to environmental monitoring — turning raw biodiversity records into dashboards and reports that councils can act on. Voilà Analysed exists to make that evidence-to-decision bridge accessible for any organisation with data worth understanding.

Selected publications

  • Shtai, W., et al. (2024). Soil water availability modulates grapevine gas exchange and PSII response to heat stress. Plant and Soil.
  • Shtai, W., et al. (2024). Assessing soil water availability thresholds for heat stress mitigation in grapevines. Italus Hortus.
  • Shtai, W., et al. (2026). Physiological response of grapevine (cv. Shiraz) to drought, light exposure and heat stress. OENO One.
  • Shtai, W., et al. (2020). Total and diffuse light distribution within the canopy of an apple orchard as affected by reflective ground covers. Italus Hortus.

Portfolio

Live case study · Citizen science program

Urban bird-monitoring analytics — City of Port Adelaide Enfield

As the analyst for the council's PAE Bird Monitoring Project, I run the full data journey on a volunteer basis — the same workflow Voilà Analysed delivers to clients:

  • Data acquisition & QA — raw CSV exports from the Atlas of Living Australia; systematic cleaning of duplicate species names and survey inconsistencies.
  • Analysis — species frequency, total counts and per-site trend analysis across quarterly survey rounds.
  • Reporting — Power BI dashboards and quarterly summary reports for council staff, project partners and citizen scientists.
  • Methodology — review of monitoring protocols, identifying data gaps and recommending additional (incl. spatial) datasets to strengthen habitat-rehabilitation decisions.
Outcome: evidence-based habitat decisions, transparent community reporting, durable data practices.
Research background

Climate-stress physiology — grapevine & orchard systems

Multi-year controlled-environment, greenhouse and open-field experiments across Italy and South Australia (in collaboration with SARDI, Eurac Research, Laimburg and the University of Innsbruck):

  • Experimental design — replicated trials quantifying crop response to heat, drought and radiation stress.
  • Sensor-grade data — PAM fluorometry (Mini-PAM, Moni-PAM), CIRAS gas exchange, Campbell dataloggers, soil moisture networks.
  • Modelling — mixed-effects statistical models in R establishing soil water availability thresholds for heatwave mitigation.
Published in Plant and Soil, Italus Hortus and OENO One.