Climate Health Initiative CHI

Our aim is to facilitate collaboration within the members of the Initiative but also to coordinate efforts with other Norwegian and international actors working to understand and find solutions for global challenges related to Climate and Health.

Finding answers to understand and address these complex interactions must be grounded in broad interdisciplinary (several faculties) and transdisciplinary (several types of institutions) research and innovation initiatives. 

As a response to this challenge, the faculty of Medicine at the University of Bergen (UiB) together with the faculties of Psychology and Mathematics and Natural Sciences as well as the Bjerknes Centre and the Climate Agency (Klimaetaten) of the City of Bergen, have recently launched the Climate Health Initiative ensuring that we, together, approach timely and relevant challenges for Norway. 

Faculty of Medicine, UiB

• Professor Esperanza Diaz, IGS, Pandemic Centre
• Director Simon Nygaard Øverland Global challenges, UiB
• Professor Ane Johannessen, IGS, GAP, TVEPS
• PhD candidate Ingrid Azevedo, IGS,  Climate Health
• Senior Adviser Gøril Vikøren Nøkleby, IGS  Pandemic Centre

Faculty of Science and Technology, UiB

• Director Kikki Flesche Kleiven,  Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Professor Noel Sebastian Keenlyside,  Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Professor Thomas Spengler,  Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Senior adviser Friederike Hoffmann, Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Professor Stefan Pieter Sobolowski, Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Professor Tor Eldevik , Geophysical Institute, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research

Faculty of Psychology, UiB

• Professor Gro Mjeldheim Sandal, Dept. of Psychosocial Science

Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB

• Professor Håvard Haarstad, Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET)

Bergen muncipality

• Director Stina Ellevseth Oseland Climate Agency
• Marit Voltersvik Infection control supervisor

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

• Associate professor Maria Nordheim Alme Head of Section, Department of Health and Functioning
• Joost Van Wijchen Head of Section, Department of Health and Functioning

Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center

• Senior scientist Roshin Pappukutty Raj, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Senior scientist Yiguo Wang,  Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
• Researcher Victoria Miles Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research

NORCE

• Emre Sari, Division Health & Social Sciences
• Jesper Blinkenberg, Division Health & Social Sciences

2026

• 26.01.2026 CHI meeting
  • Guest speaker Claudia Torrealba
    Senior advisor on health and climate at Red Cross
  • Guest speaker Valesca Venhof
    Researcher UiO

2025

• 17.01.25: Webinar
• 14.01.25  Webinar
• 21.03.25  Webinar
• 09.04.25  CHI meeting
  • Guest speaker dr. Andrea E Schmidt
    Austrian National Public Health Institute
• June 2025 Bergen Summer Research School
  • CHI course: Climate change and health
• 26.08.25 CHI meeting
• 20.11.25 CHI meeting
  • Guest speaker dr. Jerome Picard
    Faculty of fine Art, music and Design, UiB
    
     

2024

• October 18: Jeanette Magnus, UiO
• November 22: professor Håvard Haarstad, CET/UiB
• December 13: Research director Kristin Aunan, CICERO

2025

• January 17: Associate professor Stefán Hjörleifsson, UiB
• February 14: Dr. Shilpa Rao, NIPH
• March 21: professor Ane Johannessen, UiB

Read the report in pdf here.

Since its launch, CHI has developed a growing portfolio of activities, including academic seminars, funding applications, international collaborations, and public engagement events.  
The collaborations within CHI have demonstrated strong potential for sustained interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary engagement. Moving forward, CHI will continue to: 

• Strengthen national and international research partnerships 
• Expand educational activities at graduate and PhD levels 
• Support policy-relevant research and public engagement 
• Serve as a coordinating platform for climate and health initiatives at UiB and beyond