Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is a Professor of Climate Science at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University (ANU). She earned her B.Sc. from Macquarie University and a PhD from UNSW Sydney, specializing in climate extremes and heatwave dynamics. Her roles include Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach at the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, and Vice President of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

Research Focus: Sarah investigates heatwaves, extreme event attribution, and climate change impacts. Key interests include:

• Drivers and future projections of heatwaves and marine heatwaves
• Attribution of extreme events to natural vs. anthropogenic factors
• Health impacts of heat, particularly on vulnerable populations
• Compound extreme events and urban climate interactions

Publications: Her recent work emphasizes climate attribution, heatwave mortality, and communication of climate risks under net-zero scenarios. Articles frequently analyze global extreme events, Australian climate vulnerabilities, and modeling advancements.

Awards:

• Dorothy Hill Medal (2021) from Australian Academy of Science
• Communication and Outreach Award (2021) from Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
• Early Career Researcher Award (2016)
• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2021, 2022, 2023)

Grants and Leadership: She leads projects including the NESP Climate Systems Hub and ARC Centre for 21st Century Weather. Previously held an ARC Future Fellowship (2017–2023) and Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2014–2017).

Science Communication: Partners with Monash Climate Change Communications Research Hub and engages extensively with media to communicate climate science.