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.
Academic & Professional Appointments
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry & Affiliate, Center for Human and Planetary Health
Stanford University | 2025–present
Teach and develop curriculum on brain health, climate change, and planetary health
Contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives, including CIRCLE on community resilience and emotional well-being
Advance research and translational efforts linking environmental exposures to mental and neurological health
Founder & Chair, International Neuro Climate Working Group (NCWG)
Columbia University | 2024–present
Founded and lead a global consortium of 400+ scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and community leaders across 50+ countries
Recognized by the World Economic Forum as a leading global initiative on climate change and mental health
Leading development of global state-of-science reports, policy frameworks, and cross-sector collaborations
Founder & Director, EcoNeuro
Los Angeles, CA | 2023–present
Established a research and consulting initiative advancing ecological and environmental neuroscience for global health
Lead interdisciplinary projects translating scientific evidence into policy, systems innovation, and community-based solutions
Advise organizations across academia, policy, and industry on climate and brain health integration
Advisory Roles
Advisor, World Health Organization (WHO) | 2025–present
Co-develop training modules on air pollution and brain health for global health practitioners
External reviewer for WHO Dementia Prevention Guidelines
Advisory Committee Member, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) | 2025–present
Contribute to reports on climate adaptation and global health policy
Director-at-Large, Brain Climate Equity Collaborative (Canada) | 2025–present
Scientific Advisor, CIRCLE Climate and Mental Health Initiative, Stanford University (U.S.) | 2025-present
Expert Panel Member & Fellow, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association | 2025–present
Science Advisory Board Member, Climate Mental Health Network (U.S.) | 2025–present
Scientific Committee Member, Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy (Africa) | 2025–present
Advisory Board Member, Climate Cares Centre (UK) | 2024–present
Advisory Board Member, Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition (Canada) | 2024–2025
Science Advisory Board Member, Climate Clinic (Turkey) | 2023–present
Scientific Advisor, Metabolic Mind | 2023–2024
Global Commissions, Expert Panels & High-Level Action Groups
Nature Medicine Commission on Brain Health for Economic Resilience - Exposomics Workgroup Co-Lead (2026-present)
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
Santos, C. & Ikiz, B. (2026). Climate Change and Mental Health in Guinea-Bissau: Insights from women engaged in rural-urban mobility. (Preprint) https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/fr3xc_v1.
Noor, J., Flanagan, E., Lacap, L. M., Farooq, M., Bezgrebelna, M., Fung, K., Andari, S., Anthonj, C., Boateng, G. O., Gislason, M., Green, S., Fournier, B., Henderson, J., Ikiz, B., Kenny, G. P., Meade, R. D., Metz, C., Sachal, A., Wolbring, G., & Kidd, S. A. (2026). The implications of climate change for the learning and development of children and youth living in poverty. The Lancet Public Health, 11(6), e408–e416. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00075-7
Adalat, S., Giannakou, K., Valderrama, B., Juan Guillermo Cárdenas-Aguilera, J.G., Sakkas, G.K., Overeem, J., Hafez, G., Kelly, D., Vulevic, J., He, G., Miha˘ila˘, S.M., Tammaro, A, Ikiz, B., Cryan, J.F. Global environmental change and the gut-kidney-brain axis: a review and framework of vulnerability and resilience. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2026; 0
Legaz, A., Moguilner, S., Barttfeld, P., Ikiz B., et al. The exposome of brain aging across 34 countries. Nat Med (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04302-z.
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)