Burcin Ikiz, PhD

I am a neuroscientist and global health advisor exploring how climate change and ecological crises impact brain health. With over 20 years of research and consulting experience in brain disorders and mental health, my work focuses on how environmental factors affect our brains and how these insights can be translated into tangible global health solutions.

In 2023, I launched EcoNeuro, a research initiative dedicated to exploring the intersection of neuroscience and the environment. In 2024, I founded the International Neuro Climate Working Group, where I lead a network of over 200 scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and public health experts. Our group spearheads global research, advocacy, policy, and community efforts to address the effects of climate change on brain health and was recently recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the top five global initiatives tackling climate change and mental health.

I also serve as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University, where I teach on the intersection of brain and planetary health and contribute to the CIRCLE Initiative, an effort focused on community resilience, climate leadership, and emotional well-being.

I advise the World Health Organization and the Council on Foreign Relations on climate and global health and serve on the scientific advisory boards of several international organizations, including the Climate Mental Health Network (U.S.), the Climate Cares Centre (UK), and the Climate Clinic (Turkey). I am also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Yaoundé Declaration on African Leadership in Brain Diplomacy.

I have spoken on global platforms including TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, WHO global conferences, and COP climate summits, where I share insights on the intersection of brain health, climate change, and ecological resilience. My writing has appeared in STAT News, Psychology Today, Undark Magazine, and Think Global Health, and my work has been featured in The Guardian, Bloomberg, and public radio in Australia and Canada.

I earned a B.Sc. in Biomedical Computation from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University. I hold two patents from my postdoctoral research and received the Brunie Prize for my doctoral thesis. I have also participated in Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine Program and the On Deck Writer Fellowship.

I am currently working on a book project with MIT Press on ecological neuroscience and co-leading international projects focused on air pollution, heat, and brain health in vulnerable populations.

I am deeply committed to health equity, social justice, open science, and building community partnerships. I believe collective action, evidence-based solutions, and informed policy are essential to creating a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future.

Outside of work, I enjoy running, photography, and spending time in nature with my family. In 2019, I completed a six-month artist residency at Ten Women Gallery in Santa Monica. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, our three children, and our puppy.