Jonathan Patz

Dr. Jonathan Patz is the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with joint appointments in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Department of Population Health Sciences. He served as inaugural Director of the Global Health Institute (2011-2022) and directs the Planetary Health Scholars Program. A physician-scientist board-certified in Occupational/Environmental Medicine, he holds an MD from Case Western Reserve University (1987) and MPH from Johns Hopkins University (1992).

His pioneering research examines climate change impacts on human health, including heat-related mortality, infectious disease patterns, and air pollution effects. Complementary work explores health co-benefits of climate solutions such as active transportation, sustainable food systems, and clean energy policies. His research integrates environmental epidemiology, policy analysis, and ecological modeling to address planetary health challenges.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on climate-health interactions across multiple scales: from urban design impacts on active transportation to global assessments of decarbonization benefits. Recent work emphasizes equity dimensions of climate policies and economic valuation of health co-benefits.

Major Scientific Honors:

• Nobel Peace Prize (2007 IPCC contributor)
• National Academy of Medicine Member (2019)
• Zayed International Prize for Environment (2006)
• Homer Calver Award for environmental health leadership
• Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship

He has testified before both houses of Congress and served on numerous national committees including the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Research has been supported by NSF, NIH, EPA, NASA, CDC, and NOAA.