Thomas Kistemann

Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kistemann is a full Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, University of Bonn, and also serves as a Senior Physician (Ltd. Oberarzt) at the University Hospital Bonn. His work bridges medicine, public health, and geography, focusing on environmental health risks and urban wellbeing.

His research interests include drinking water quality, Legionella and waterborne pathogens, antibiotic resistance in the environment, urban blue and green spaces and health, GIS applications in public health, and climate change impacts on health. He has published extensively on the hygienic challenges of water systems, the salutogenic effects of urban waterscapes, and socio-ecological analyses of disease outbreaks.

His recent publications (2023–2025) show a strong trend toward interdisciplinary environmental health research, combining big data, spatial analysis, and microbiological monitoring. Key themes include the impact of portable air purifiers on infection control during the pandemic, GIS-based visibility analysis of green spaces, temperature dependency of Legionella, and the persistence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments. His work often involves large collaborative teams and addresses both local and global health challenges.

Among his scientific contributions are editorial roles and technical reports for the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), particularly on water safety and climate change impacts. He has contributed to national guidelines on drinking water hygiene and hospital infection control.

Prof. Kistemann has been involved in advising and leading research groups, particularly in health geography and environmental hygiene. He has contributed to public health planning, including healthcare accessibility and bedarfsplanung (needs-based planning). His work frequently involves interdisciplinary grants and collaborative projects with institutions in Germany and internationally, including studies in Kenya, India, the Philippines, and Sweden.

He is affiliated with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Water Management and Risk Communication for Health Promotion at the University of Bonn and has led research on therapeutic landscapes, urban blue spaces, and health geography education.