The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is a cutting-edge institute addressing global public health challenges through research, translation into policy and education. ISGlobal has a broad portfolio in communicable and non-communicable diseases including environmental and climate determinants, and applies a multidisciplinary scientific approach ranging from the molecular to the population level. Research is organized in five programs: Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health; Environment and Health over the Lifecourse; Global Viral and Bacterial Infections; Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases and Maternal Child and Reproductive Health. ISGlobal is accredited with the Severo Ochoa distinction, a seal of excellence of the Spanish Science Ministry.

What We Are Looking for:
We are seeking a talented and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher in the areas of weather predictability and heat-health early warning systems. The successful candidate will join the research team of Dr. Joan Ballester Claramunt at ISGlobal within the framework of various research projects, mainly the ERC Consolidator Grant EARLY-ADAPT and the Horizon Europe project CATALYSE (see “Project information” below).
In EARLY-ADAPT, the chosen candidate will be at the forefront of environmental research by analysing a newly-created database of human health in Europe, which incorporates a range of environmental, socioeconomic and demographic variables and novel digital data streams at different spatiotemporal scales. See examples of recent high-impact publications here , here and here . In CATALYSE, the chosen candidate will develop a high-resolution heat-health early warning system for the Spanish region of Catalonia, together with the Catalan Meteorological and Public Health Agencies, following the approach and methodology of the first continental heat-health early warning system Forecaster.Health .
In both areas, and following the approach and methodology documented here , the fellow will
use epidemiological models to transform operational weather forecasts into health predictions;
analyse and compare the spatiotemporal scales of predictability of weather forecasts and health predictions; and
use this comparative predictability analysis to develop an operational, fit-for-purpose, early warning system representing the health impacts of environmental temperatures on human mortality, hospital admissions and occupational accidents.
The final aim of the work is to better inform potential end-users such as public health agencies to activate emergency plans directly targeting vulnerable groups.

Project information
EARLY-ADAPT (“Signs of Early Adaptation to Climate Change”, Jan’21-Jul’26, Grant agreement 865564) is a European Research Council Consolidator Grant (ERC-2019-CoG), whose overarching aim is to jointly analyse the multiple drivers of recent trends in human health. Its driving hypothesis is that societies are starting to adapt to climate change, but the effectiveness of early adaptation is heterogeneous in space and time. EARLY-ADAPT has recently completed the creation of a daily, continental-wide database with multiple health outcomes, climate variables and air pollutants. The database is being used to model the relation between health and the environment, quantify the modifying effect of the societal factors, and perform a predictability analysis to determine the most realistic adaptation scenarios for the projections of future health. The project will allow to detect, understand and quantify the inequalities in adaptation between countries, regions, cities and social groups. More information is available here .
CATALYSE (“Climate Action to Advance Healthy Societies in Europe”, Sep’22-Aug’27, Grant agreement101057131 ) is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02-03), whose overarching aim is to provide new knowledge, data, and tools on: i) the relationships between changes in environmental hazards caused by climate change, ecosystems, and human health; ii) the health co-benefits of climate action; iii) the role of health evidence in decision making; and iv) the societal implications of climate change for health systems. CATALYSE is developing innovative surveillance and forecasting tools that facilitate effective response to environmental health hazards, including a heat-health early warning system that incorporates weather forecasting, health data and epidemiological modelling. The early warning system will focus on Catalonia, Spain, based on high-quality health data, high-resolution weather forecasts from the Catalan Meteorological Agency, and established links with local public health stakeholders.