Flavio Lehner

Flavio Lehner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University. He holds a PhD in Climate Science from the University of Bern (2013), an MSc from the same institution (2009), and a BSc in Geography/Climatology from the University of Basel (2007). Prior to Cornell, he worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and ETH Zürich.

His research focuses on understanding climate variability and its impacts on regional scales, particularly through the lens of climate models, reconstructions, and observations. Key areas include quantifying uncertainties in climate projections, analyzing hydroclimate impacts like droughts and extreme events, and improving model performance. His interdisciplinary approach bridges fundamental science and practical applications, such as water resource management and infrastructure planning.

Notable awards include the US CLIVAR Early Career Award (2019) and NOAA’s PACE Fellowship (2016). He teaches courses on climate science programming and global warming. His lab explores topics like teleconnections, snowpack dynamics, and downscaling methods, funded by agencies like NOAA and NSF.

Lehner’s work emphasizes actionable climate science, aiming to reduce uncertainties and support decision-making in a changing climate.