Our research
The CEH (Climate, Ecosystems, Health) lab investigates how climate change affects human health, integrating methods from climate sciences, epidemiology, and ecology.
Our current research focuses on formally attributing health outcomes to human-induced climate change, and on evaluating the effectiveness of heat early warning systems and heat health action plans in reducing mortality and morbidity.
In addition to direct effects of global warming, we also investigate indirect health impacts of extreme climate events, particularly those mediated through changes in ecosystems. In one of our current projects, we, e.g., investigate associations between heatwaves, harmful algal blooms in reservoirs, and liver-related disease outcomes.
Current team members
Seongha Cho, Postdoc
My research explores the intersection of environmental and social aspects of health, drawing on an interdisciplinary background across the social, environmental, and public health fields. With the intention of producing socially meaningful and policy-relevant findings, I envision translating research into practical applications. My current work focuses on the health impacts of climate change, including the attribution of climate-related health outcomes, with a keen interest in vulnerable populations.
Hajar Oukabli, PhD student
My research focuses on the links between climate variability, cyanobacterial blooms, and human health. I use satellite remote sensing to detect and characterize cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs, and to examine how climatic factors drive their occurrence and dynamics. Through this work, I investigate how climate-induced changes in bloom presence translate into risks for water quality and human health under global change.
Jesse Schuurman, JAE ICU research intern
I’m a Biology graduate with a strong interest in ecology and planetary health. My current research evaluates heat-related mortality in Spain and its links to climate change. Using publicly available data, I apply statistical methods to simulate a world without climate change, estimating its impact on temperature and, consequently, mortality over time. With this research, we hope to highlight a dangerous consequence of climate change that is often overlooked
Current visitors
Falak Naz, visiting PhD student
Affiliated students
Mahulena Kořistková, PhD student
Co-supervised with Aleš Urban at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
Anna Mastag, MSc student
Co-supervised with Alexandra Schneider at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany