Research Fellow

Post Status: Specific purpose Contract; Full-time 

Research Group / Department / School: Climate and Health Research Group, Department of Public Health and Primary Care/School of Medicine. Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin 

Location: Institute of Population Health, Russell Centre, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland 

Reports to: Prof Cathal Walsh and Dr Matthew Chersich 

Salary: Appointment will be made on the Irish University Association Salary Scale [€57,424 - €60,250), appointment will be made no higher than point PD2 Pt3 

Hours of Work: 37.5

Post Summary 

The Climate and Health Research Group is a recently formed interdisciplinary group, located in the Discipline of Public Health and Primary Care in the School of Medicine. Research is focused on quantifying the health impacts of climate change across the EU and Africa. It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Understanding, monitoring and responding to the climate crisis, relies on a robust evidence base of the extent and manner to which climate change is affecting human health. 

The group leadership has a strong track record in highlighting the growing health, and socioeconomic consequences of climate inaction, providing a baseline for long term monitoring, and marking a step-change in climate change communication and providing evidence to inform policy development in Ireland and globally. 

The Climate and Health Research group seeks to appoint an experienced Postdoctoral researcher in Biostatistics to build a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in tracking climate exposure-health response functions; establishing processes for long-term sustainability of analyses that work towards near ‘’real time’’ data analytics; and setting the stage for Ireland to take its place in the global discourse on health and climate change. This role will be funded through the EPA CHI study “Establishing long-term systems for monitoring the impacts of Climate change on Health in Ireland”. 

CHI aims to evaluate, both current and future impacts of climate change on physical and mental health across the island of Ireland. CHI will establish sustainable end-to-end systems for long-term monitoring of impacts. The project will serve as a Centre of Excellence on climate change and health, providing a valuable resource for policy makers, health services and practitioners and civil society. The TILDA project at Trinity, Queens University in Northern Ireland, and the Health Services Executive are key project partners. 

The long-term vision is to establish a sustainable system for ongoing monitoring of the health impacts of climate change, with established pipelines in place, aiming for near real-time assessment of climate impacts on health. By guiding future strategies and action plans for climate change adaptation in the health sector, CHI aims to enhance Ireland’s capacity to address climate-related health challenges and position Ireland as a leader in the global climate-health discourse, contributing valuable insights and strategies applicable both nationally and internationally. 

CHI will make major advances through providing evidence needed for action; raising awareness among the government, the health system and the public about the seriousness of health and challenges posed by the climate crisis.

Person Specification 

Qualifications

• Excellent academic record and PhD (or equivalent) in Statistics, data science, or a related discipline. 

• Appointment will be made on the Irish University Scale at PD1 or PD2 depending on experience.