Dr. Larissa Houston is an R&D Project Manager at FLIGHTKEYS, driving research and development in next-generation flight planning services. With a background in law, economics, and project management, she brings an interdisciplinary approach to aviation technology, energy law and operational innovation. She also serves as General Secretary of the SHiFT COST Action Young Researchers Council and mentors early-career professionals. Previously, she worked as a legal researcher at the University of Padova and as a project manager and researcher at ClimLaw: Graz, leading projects on decarbonisation, regulation, and stakeholder engagement. She holds degrees from Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Graz, and has published on climate law, sustainable development, and energy governance.

Research focus: At CIHOL, Larissa in her position as a fellow works on topics related to aviation as a critical enabler of humanitarian access in armed conflict, with a particular focus on the intersections of energy security, sustainability, and international humanitarian law (IHL). She examines how humanitarian aviation supports the delivery of essential goods, medical services, and energy-related supplies in conflict zones, while assessing how energy scarcity, fuel insecurity, and nuclear or chemical threats constrain or reshape humanitarian air operations.