Wael Al-Delaimy

Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy is a Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). He holds leadership roles in multiple NIH-funded programs addressing climate change and global health equity. His research focuses on non-communicable diseases, environmental health, refugee mental health, and tobacco control, with a strong emphasis on vulnerable populations. Al-Delaimy has pioneered initiatives such as the GeoHealth Hub on Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa, and the Global Center on Climate Change and Health-Energy-Food-Health Systems.

Education: MD from Baghdad University (Iraq, 1991), PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Otago (New Zealand, 2000). Postdoctoral training at Harvard School of Public Health (2000–2004). Joined UCSD faculty in 2004, advancing to Full Professor.

Research Interests: Climate change impacts on health, mental health resilience in refugees, tobacco control policies, and ethical research practices in global health. He leads programs addressing environmental justice, such as the California American Indian Tobacco Initiative Evaluation and the HRSA-funded Community Health Workers Program.

Grants & Awards: Principal Investigator on NIH Fogarty grants (P20TW012709, U2RTW012228), and recipient of the 2024 UCSD Integrity Award. His work spans over 200 publications, focusing on climate change epidemiology, refugee health, and tobacco harm reduction.

Labs & Teams: Director of the Al-Delaimy Research Group at UCSD, collaborating with 11 international universities. Active in the Global Mental Health Initiative and Research Ethics Training Program in Jordan.