I am a Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow at Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD) – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Sevilla, Spain.

I lead the CEH (Climate, Ecosystems, Health) lab, researching both direct and indirect, ecosystem-mediated impacts of climate change on human health.

CEH LAB →

Being deeply concerned about the climate emergency, I have supported Scientists for Future, and participated in protests by Scientist Rebellion.

CLIMATE ACTIVISM →

Climate impacts on human health

My current research concerns climate impacts on human health. In particular, I am interested in effects of climate change on temperature-related mortality in Germany, Spain, and around the globe. Most recently, I have worked on including adaptation into projections of temperature-related mortality, and the attribution of heat-related mortality to recent climate change. In addition, I have been involved in studies projecting water-borne disease outcomes under different climate change trajectories.

Climate impacts on phytoplankton

Previously, I have investigated the effect of multiple anthropogenic influences on lake ecosystems. In particular, I have studied the effects of climatic change and nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton phenology in lakes of the temperate zone. I have also investigated the risk of increased toxic cyanobacterial blooms under global warming, with a special focus on heat wave impacts.

Trends in heat-related mortality attributable to climate change

Huber V, Breitner-Busch S, Feldbusch H, Frieler K, He C, Matthies-Wiesler F, Mengel M, Zhang S, Peters A, Schneider A (2025). Improvements in life expectancy mask rising trends in heat-related excess mortality attributable to climate change. Nature Communications 16:1 2025;16:11632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66681-0.

Adaptation to increasing heat exposure in Spanish cities

Huber V, Peña Ortiz C, Gallego Puyol D, Lange S, Sera F (2022) Evidence of rapid adaptation integrated into projections of temperature-related excess mortality. Environ. Res. Lett. 17 044075 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5dee

Heat waves and harmful algal blooms

Huber V, Gerten D, Adrian R (2012) To bloom or not to bloom: Contrasting responses of cyanobacteria to recent heat waves explained by critical thresholds of abiotic drivers. Oecologia 169(1): 245-256, (doi) 10.1007/s00442-011-2186-7

On climate change and heat-related mortality (in Spanish)

Tierra 7, Andalucia, Facua y Cambio Climático, September 29, 2021