Research
Highlights
Neuroscientist working at the intersection of brain health, climate change, and planetary resilience, advancing research, policy, and community action through science-informed approaches.
Founder & Director of EcoNeuro and Chair of the International Neuro Climate Working Group (NCWG), a 300+ member global consortium recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the top global initiatives addressing climate change and mental health.
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University, teaching on brain health and climate change, and contributing to the CIRCLE initiative on community resilience and emotional well-being.
Advisor and Board Member to global organizations, including the World Health Organization, Council on Foreign Relations, and leading climate and health initiatives, such as the Climate Cares Centre (UK), Climate Clinic (Turkey), Brain Climate Equity Collaborative (Canada), Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (Spain), and Climate Mental Health Network (U.S.).
Expert contributor to multiple international policy reports and global assessments, including the 2025 State of Global Air report, integrating brain and mental health evidence into climate adaptation and environmental health frameworks.
Grist 50 Climate Fixer (2025), recognized among leading U.S. climate innovators advancing equitable, science-driven solutions for a sustainable future.
Speaker, Writer & Science Communicator, featured at the United Nations General Assembly, COP climate summits, TEDx, WHO global conferences, and World Bank dialogues. Contributor to STAT, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Undark, and Psychology Today.
Equity and Impact Advocate committed to advancing open science, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-led research to promote health equity, planetary health, and social justice.
Leadership and Advisory Experience
Founder and Chair, the International Neuro Climate Working Group, Los Angeles, CA
I lead an international consortium of over 300 scientists, clinicians, public health experts, policymakers, and community leaders working at the intersection of climate change and brain health. As a dynamic collective, we leverage diverse expertise to address the profound effects of environmental changes on neurological and mental well-being. Committed to innovative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, effective advocacy, evidence-driven policy, and community engagement, our group is uniquely positioned to illuminate and tackle the brain health challenges posed by our changing climate.
Founder and Director, EcoNeuro, Los Angeles, CA
EcoNeuro is a research and consulting initiative dedicated to advancing global health by exploring the nexus of neuroscience and the environment. Our mission is to provide evidence-based, data-driven insights and innovative solutions to address some of society's most pressing health challenges.
Advisor, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
I collaborate with the WHO Air Quality Team to create a training module on air pollution and brain health. The toolkit aims to provide health care professionals and public health workers with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand and address the health effects of air pollution and mitigate risks by effectively engaging with patients, individuals, and communities while advocating for clean air interventions.
Advisor, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, NY
I am a member of the advisory committee for the special report on climate change adaptation and U.S. foreign policy on global health. This report will discuss the health threats associated with climate change, why climate adaptation poses challenges for U.S. foreign policymaking, and what steps should be taken to advance adaptation actions for health and development.
Director-at-Large, Board of Directors, Brain Climate Equity Collaborative, Calgary, Canada.
I provide strategic guidance and governance, advancing global initiatives at the intersection of brain health, climate change, and social equity.
Science Advisory Board Member, Climate Mental Health Network, Washington D.C.
I support the organization's projects on eco-anxiety and the mental health effects of climate change.
Expert Panel Member & Fellow, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association, Barcelona, Spain.
I contribute high-level expertise on neuroscience, health, and climate policy to support socio-economic and policy initiatives for Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa through research, project co-development, and policy publications.
Scientific Committee Member, The Yaoundé Declaration of African Leadership in Brain Diplomacy, Yaoundé, Cameroon
I contribute to the advancement of the global brain economy and strategic frameworks for brain health across Africa.
Advisory Board Member, Climate Cares Centre, Imperial College London, UK
I contribute my expertise in neuroscience to a multidisciplinary team dedicated to exploring the intersection of mental health and climate change. My role involves guiding research directions, shaping educational content, and helping to formulate policy recommendations that address the psychological impacts of climate change.
Science Advisory Board Member, Climate Clinic, Yuvam Dunya, Turkey
Yuvam Dunya is a non-profit organization that addresses climate change through social and educational transformation. I advise the organization’s Climate Clinic initiative, which aims to integrate climate change education into the medical school curriculum. I support the organization’s training, research, and science communication efforts. I also co-organized a symposium on climate change and mental health, which was attended by more than a thousand people.
Metabolic Psychiatry Advisory Board Member, Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition, Canada
I was involved with the writing of a white paper and the development of an advanced training program for clinicians to include therapeutic nutrition and metabolic therapies as safe and effective treatment options for their patients with mental illnesses.
Scientific Advisor, Metabolic Mind, San Mateo, CA
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit organization working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. I advised the team on the creation of evidence-based scientific and educational content.
Global Commissions, Expert Panels & High-Level Action Groups
Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Climate Change and Mental Health, Working Group 5: Future Directions and Emerging Priorities — 2026–present
Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) COP31 Short-Term Action Group — 2026–present
Peer-Reviewed Research Articles
Sahni, P. S., Dewan, S., Sachdeva, M., Ranathunga, N., Fadhullah, W., Abdullah, J. M., Roy, T., Pal, B. ., Baloch, S., Adhikari, B., Ikiz, B., & Mishra, J. (2025). Climate Cognition Crisis: Urgent Call to Address Air Pollution and Extreme Heat Impacts in Learning Environments of Children in South and Southeast Asia. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 32(5), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms-08-2025-s02.
Ikiz, B., & Carlson, J. M. (2025). Neural pathways to resilience: Leveraging neuroscience to understand and mitigate eco-anxiety. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 10.1111/nyas.15347. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15347.
Abdelraheem, O. M., Ikiz, B., Chun, S., Eyre, H., & Salama, M. (2025). Quantifying ecological intelligence: building metrics for the green brain capital model-a systematic review. BMJ mental health, 28(1), e301317. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2024-301317.
Ikiz B, Climate Preparedness Guidelines for Neurologists and Psychiatrists. Prepared for the Pan American Health Organization, Enhancing Healthcare Facilities Resilience: Learning from COVID-19 to Address Ongoing and Future Health Threats Initiative. 2025.
Nail-Beatty O, Ibanez A, Ayadi R, Swieboda P, Njamnshi AK, Occhipinti JA, Hynes W, Ikiz B, Castro-Aldrete L, O’Brien K, Platt ML, Adalat S, Abdullah JM, Dhamija RK, Merali Z, Mostert C, Beck D, Saxena S, Salama M, Abdelraheem OM, Destrebecq F, Slavich GM, Shehu B, Fieggen G, Ghogomu PM, Bassetti CLA, Eyre HA, Brain health is essential for smooth economic transitions: towards socio-economic sustainability, productivity and well-being, Brain Communications, Volume 6, Issue 6, 2024, fcae360, https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae360
Adalat S, Hajat S, Ikiz B; Climate change has serious implications for children’s brain health; BMJ, July 22, 2024; 386:q1588
Global Agenda for Research and Action in Climate Change and Mental Health, June 2024; DOI: 10.25561/113342 (Contributing Author).
Ibanez A, Melloni L, Świeboda P, Hynes W, Ikiz B, Ayadi R, Thioye M, Walss-Bass C, Güntekin B, Mishra J, Salama M, Dunlop S, Duran-Aniotz C, Eyre HA; Neuroecological links of the exposome and One Health; Neuron, May 8, 2024.
Mishra V, Re DB, Le Verce V, Alvarez MJ, Vasciaveo A, Jacquier A, Doulias PT, Greco TM, Nizzardo M, Papadimitriou D, Nagata T, Rinchetti P, Perez-Torres EJ, Politi KA, Ikiz B, Clare K, Than ME, Corti S, Ischiropoulos H, Lotti F, Califano A, Przedborski S; Systematic elucidation of neuron-astrocyte interaction in models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using multi-modal integrated bioinformatics workflow; Nature Communications. 2020 Nov 4; 11: 5579.
Atanasio A, Decman V, White D, Ramos M, Ikiz B, Lee HC, Siao CJ, Brydges S, LaRosa E, Bai Y, Fury W, Burfeind P, Zamfirova R, Warshaw G, Orengo J, Oyejide A, Fralish M, Auerbach W, Poueymirou W, Freudenberg J, Gong G, Zambrowicz B, Valenzuela D, Yancopoulos G, Murphy A, Thurston G, Lai KM; C9orf72 ablation causes immune dysregulation characterized by leukocyte expansion, autoantibody production, and glomerulonephropathy in mice; Scientific Reports. 2016 Mar 16; 6:23204.
Ikiz B, Alvarez MJ, Ré DB, Le Verche V, Politi K, Lotti F, Phani S, Pradhan R, Yu C, Croft GF, Jacquier A, Henderson CE, Califano A, Przedborski S; The Regulatory Machinery of Neurodegeneration in In Vitro Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Cell Reports. 2015 Jul 14; 12(2):335-45.
Re DB, Le Verche V, Yu C, Amoroso MW, Politi KA, Phani S, Ikiz B, Hoffmann L, Koolen M, Nagata T, Papadimitriou D, Nagy P, Mitsumoto H, Kariya S, Wichterle H, Henderson CE, Przedborski S; Necroptosis drives motor neuron death in models of both sporadic and familial ALS; Neuron. 2014 Mar 5; 81(5):1001-8.
Le Verche V, Ikiz B, Jacquier A, Przedborski S, Re DB; Glutamate pathway implication in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: what is the signal in the noise?; Journal of Receptor, Ligand and Channel Research. 2010 Dec; 4:1-22.
Papadimitriou D, Le Verche V, Jacquier A, Ikiz B, Przedborski S, Re DB; Inflammation in ALS and SMA: Sorting out the good from the evil; Neurobiology of Disease. 2010 Mar; 37(3):493-502.
Ikiz B, Przedborski S; A sequel to the tale of p25/Cdk5 in neurodegeneration; Neuron. 2008 Dec 10; 60(5):731-2.
Policy Reports & Global Assessments
Building Brains: Exploring the Intersection of Neuroscience and Architecture to position the Built Environment as a strategy for Brain Health: Contributed to a report that brings together emerging evidence showing that the built environment can directly shape brain health, influencing things like cognitive performance, emotional regulation, stress physiology, and long-term wellbeing, as part of the Building Brains Coalition. (January 2026)
The Belem Health Action Plan for the Adaptation of the Health Sector to Climate Change: Invited to endorse and contribute to the health action plan that passed at COP30. World Health Organization. (Nov. 2025)
State of Global Air Report 2025: Invited expert contributor on climate-related air pollution and brain health impacts. Health Effects Institute, NCD Alliance & Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (Nov. 2025)
The Climate Adaptation Crisis in Global Health: Advisory Committee Member who provided comments and suggestions on the report. Council on Foreign Relations. (September 2025)
Global Research and Action Agenda for Climate Change and Mental Health: Invited expert contributor to identify knowledge gaps in research on climate change’s impact on mental health. Connecting Climate Minds & Climate Cares Centre. (January 2025)
The Yaounde Declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health & Brain Capital: Invited expert contributor to the detailed roadmap for the brain economy transition in Africa. Brain Research Africa Initiative & Brain Capital Alliance (October 2024)