Professor in Environment & Human Health & Director of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (Education and Research)

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

The European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH) at the University of Exeter in Cornwall is seeking a highly motivated, internationally recognised researcher to be our new Director, leading our world-class research into the complex links between the environment and human health. ECEHH is a world-leading, transdisciplinary research and education Centre tackling the critical interconnections between the climate and environmental emergencies and human health. It sits within the Department of Public Health and Sports Science, one of three departments of the Exeter Medical School.

The Centre has an extensive national and international portfolio of research and education including funding from all major UK and European research funders. The Centre’s vision is:

• Transforming global understanding of the linkages between environment and human health.
• Embedding sustainability and equity at the heart of environment and human health research.
• Building and supporting a diverse research community to improve understanding, challenge thinking and bring about positive change to the planet and people.

Our core research areas include: climate change and health; nature, biodiversity and health; blue health; microbiology and antimicrobial resistance in the environment; and food systems for sustainable and healthy nutrition; with particular attention to health inequalities, complex systems, local and global practice and policy.  The Centre has strong partnerships with local communities, governments and organisations in the UK and internationally, including the Met Office (based in Exeter), the UK Health Security Agency, and Natural England. The Centre is the WHO Collaborating Centre on Natural Environments and Health. Our ethos is highly inter/transdisciplinary, multi- and mixed-method, collaborative and inclusive, representing core values necessary towards addressing complex challenges at the intersection of health and the environment.

The Role

The Director will be expected to engage with and lead on opportunities to develop research on linkages between environment, climate and human health. They will have a demonstrable international research profile, which could include expertise in climate and environmental justice, health inequalities, innovative methodologies for approaching environment-health relationships, evaluation of policies and other interventions, or environmental social sciences relating to health. They will build on the University of Exeter’s strengths in this area within the Centre and across the wider University including blue health, climate change, biodiversity loss, food systems and global public health.

In particular, the Director will be tasked with leading the development and implementation of an Environment, Climate and Health Strategy for the Faculty, bringing ECEHH together with researchers across the University and external partners.

The University of Exeter is committed to creating a sustainable, healthy and socially just future (https://www.exeter.ac.uk/about/strategy2030/). The Director will be responsible for leading the Centre’s strategic direction to support delivery of these commitments, and the interdisciplinary research and teaching that brings together these aims. Working in close collaboration with the Head of Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, and the Dean of the Medical School, they will ensure that every opportunity is taken to exploit the synergies offered by interaction of all staff within the Centre and across the University. The Director will represent ECEHH at relevant Department, Faculty and University Committees and functions.

Before submitting an application you may wish to discuss the post further by contacting Pro-Vice Chancellor for Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Prof Sallie Lamb (HLS-PVC@exeter.ac.uk) or ECEHH co-directors Dr Conny Guell (c.guell@exeter.ac.uk)