Maria Nilsson

Professor Maria Nilsson is a leading academic in public health and climate change at Umeå University's Department of Epidemiology and Global Health. She chairs the Lancet Countdown in Europe, a research initiative monitoring climate change impacts on health. Her work focuses on climate adaptation, policy development, and communication strategies to address health vulnerabilities. She holds a PhD in epidemiology and has led international projects in low- to high-income countries, including studies on heat exposure in sugarcane workers, mental health in Vietnam, and dengue risk communication in Indonesia.

Education: PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences. She has been awarded the National Champion award (2023) and a SIGHT Global Health Leadership Fellowship (2017). She is Editor-in-Chief of Global Health Action, emphasizing global health challenges from a practical perspective.

Research Interests: Climate change's health impacts, adaptation strategies, vulnerable populations, health policy, and behavioral change communication. Her recent work includes the Horizon project CATALYSE (2022–2027) and strategic grants on climate communication.

Grants and Leadership: Leads the Lancet Countdown Europe, co-leads the Lancet's Adaptation Working Group, and chairs the European Climate and Health Observatory. She has coordinated projects such as the TOPAS tobacco prevention program and studies on household mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

Awards: Notable recognitions include the 2023 Frontiers Planet Prize finalist and 2017 SIGHT Fellowship. She contributed to major reports like the 2015 Lancet Commission and the Lancet Countdown 2030 initiative.

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary collaborations, including with the European Commission and EASAC. Her research integrates epidemiology, global health, and policy to drive actionable climate responses.