Burcin Ikiz, PhD

I am a neuroscientist working at the intersection of brain health, climate change, and global health policy. With over two decades of experience across academic research, biotechnology, and global health, my work explores how environmental and ecological stressors, such as air pollution, heat, and climate-related disasters, affect the brain across the lifespan, and how this evidence can be translated into meaningful policy, practical solutions, and community action.

In 2023, I launched EcoNeuro, a research and consulting initiative dedicated to advancing ecological and environmental neuroscience for global health. In 2024, I founded the International Neuro Climate Working Group (NCWG), which I currently chair. NCWG is a global network of more than 300 scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and public health experts working collaboratively to advance research, policy, and advocacy on climate change and brain health worldwide. The group has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the leading global initiatives addressing the mental health dimensions of climate change.

I am an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry and an Affiliate of the Center for Human and Planetary Health at Stanford University, where I contribute to transdisciplinary efforts linking neuroscience, mental well-being, and climate resilience to advance brain and planetary health. I also serve on the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Climate Change and Mental Health and the Global Mental Health Action Network COP31 Action Group.

I advise international organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Council on Foreign Relations, and serve on scientific and advisory boards for leading climate and health initiatives, such as the Climate Cares Centre and the Climate Mental Health Network, across the United States, Europe, Canada, Africa, and Türkiye, contributing neuroscience expertise to climate adaptation and health equity efforts across diverse regions.

I am also involved in multiple global research and policy efforts. Most recently, I served as an expert contributor to the State of Global Air 2025 report, helping integrate brain and mental health outcomes of air pollution into the assessment for the first time. I am also the originator and lead of the Brain-CLIMA Project, a three-year, Wellcome Trust–funded international collaboration examining the combined effects of heat and air pollution on brain health in Latin America, with a strong emphasis on policy translation and public health impact.

Alongside my research and policy work, I also actively engage with the public and communicate science. I have spoken on global platforms, including the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization global conferences, the COP climate summits, TEDx, and international academic and policy forums. My writing has appeared in outlets such as STAT, Psychology Today, Undark, and Think Global Health, and my work has been featured in The Guardian, Bloomberg, and public radio in Australia and Canada. In 2025, I was named a Grist 50 Climate Fixer, recognizing my contributions to equitable, science-driven climate and health solutions.

I earned a B.Sc. in Biomedical Computation from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University. My earlier research focused on mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and led to multiple peer-reviewed publications. I also hold two patents from my postdoctoral research and received the Brunie Prize for my doctoral thesis. I am currently co-editing a forthcoming book with MIT Press on ecological and green neuroscience and contributing to several international projects and reports on air pollution, heat, and brain health in vulnerable populations.

At the core of my work is a commitment to health equity, social justice, open science, and collective action. I believe that building resilient brains and societies on a changing planet requires interdisciplinary collaboration, community partnership, and evidence-informed policy grounded in compassion and care.

Outside of my professional work, I enjoy running, photography, and spending time in nature with my family. I completed a six-month artist residency at Ten Women Gallery in Santa Monica and currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, our three children, and our puppy.