Katja Frieler

Katja Frieler serves as Head of Research Department 3 "Transformation Pathways" at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and holds the position of Professor for "impacts of climate change" at the University of Potsdam's Institute for Environmental Science and Geography since 2024. Her leadership extends to major international climate impact initiatives that shape global understanding of climate risks across multiple sectors.

Her educational background includes a Diploma in Mathematics with distinction from the University of Bielefeld and a PhD in Physics of the Atmosphere (Dr. rer. nat., magna cum laude) from the University of Potsdam in 2006. She completed a PostDoc at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin before joining PIK in July 2008.

Frieler's research focuses on quantifying the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems through two primary approaches: integrating impact projections across disciplines and attributing observed changes to historical climate variations. Her work particularly emphasizes human displacement and economic damage resulting from weather-related extreme events. She has made significant contributions to understanding climate risks across agricultural, hydrological, coastal, and health systems, with special attention to how these impacts interact across sectors and regions.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates a clear research trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated climate impact attribution methods and cross-sectoral risk assessment. The articles reveal strong emphasis on model intercomparison frameworks (particularly through ISIMIP), extreme event attribution, and quantifying economic and social consequences of climate change. Recent work shows growing focus on health impacts, infrastructure resilience, and the development of tools for practical climate risk management.

• Highly Cited Researcher designation in 2020
• Lead author for Chapter 16 on "Key Risks Across Sectors and Regions" of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report Working Group II

Frieler leads the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) and the open climate impacts encyclopedia ISIpedia, directing significant research funding and coordinating international scientific collaboration. Her work bridges fundamental climate science with practical applications for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to understand and address climate risks across multiple sectors.

As head of PIK's Transformation Pathways department, she oversees research teams focused on pathway-specific climate risks, with particular emphasis on developing methodologies for climate impact attribution and advancing integrated assessment of cross-sectoral risks under different climate scenarios.