Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is a Professor of Climate Science at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University. Her research focuses on climate extremes, particularly heatwaves and marine heatwaves, their attribution to climate change, and human health impacts. She leads science communication initiatives at the Monash Climate Change Communications Research Hub and holds leadership roles in the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

• PhD in Climate Science (UNSW Sydney)
• Previous positions at UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney, and CSIRO

Research interests span:

• Climate extremes (heatwaves, droughts, marine heatwaves)
• Attribution science (isolating anthropogenic vs natural drivers)
• Climate modeling (CMIP5/6 analysis, ensemble simulations)
• Urban climate impacts (heat island effects on public health)
• Interdisciplinary climate (health, finance, ecology links)

Recent publications demonstrate trends in increasing heatwave frequency, compound event risks, and attribution methodologies. Key scientific awards include the Dorothy Hill Medal (2021), AMOS Communication Award (2021), and Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher recognition (2021–2023). She actively contributes to science outreach through media engagements and intergovernmental collaborations.