Joy Shumake-Guillemot leads the WHO-WMO Joint Office for Climate and Health in Geneva Switzerland, and is the co-coordinator of the GHHIN. She is an environmental health scientist and public health practitioner who has worked with WHO, WMO, UNICEF and others to develop public health policy and programming for climate adaptation and risk management. She has extensive field experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America supporting public health and humanitarian assistance programs.
Joy is a leading voice in the field of climate services for health. For over a decade, she has been working at the interface of WMO and WHO to accelerate the availability, access and use of climate and weather information that can improve public health policy and practice. Joy received her MSc in Environment and International Development Policy from the University of East Anglia (UK) and Doctor of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University (USA).
Joel is an environmental epidemiologist with a background in public health and environmental engineering. His present research focuses on assessing the influence of climate variability and air quality on the risk of communicable and non-communicable health outcomes in human populations, as well as the evaluation of interventions and programmes to inform public health policy and practice. He previously consulted for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on vector-borne disease studies.
Ms Koh Li-Na is the Assistant Chief Executive Officer (CEO) responsible for meteorological services, climate science research and radiation protection at the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore. She is also the Director-General of Meteorological Services.
Prior to NEA, she was the Assistant CEO at the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, overseeing the formulation of strategies for Singapore’s digital economy and digital inclusion for society. Ms Koh has also served stints at the Early Childhood Development Agency the Info-communications Development Authority and the Personal Data Protection Commission.
Ms Koh holds a Master in Business Administration (Distinction) from INSEAD and a Master in Engineering (Distinction) from Cambridge University.
Ridwan Carman is currently the head of disaster management at the Indonesian Red Cross, with over seventeen years of experience in humanitarian services. He specializes in building community resilience, particularly in response to extreme heat events and climate-related disasters. Ridwan has successfully led initiatives that strengthen communities' ability to cope with extreme weather, focusing on early warning systems, adaptive strategies, and emergency preparedness. His expertise also extends to disaster response and cash transfer programs in emergency settings, having led critical operations in Palu, Lombok, Aceh, and North Sumatera. Ridwan’s collaborative approach with international partners, donors, and governments has been central to delivering impactful resilience-building programs. Certified as a disaster management competency assessor, he is dedicated to enhancing organizational readiness and supporting vulnerable populations in the face of climate challenges.
Contact: ridwan_sc@pmi.or.id | +62 821-1191-6892
Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon is the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Director of the Health Practice Team under the Human and Social Development Sectors Group. Doc Dodo, as he is fondly called, champions on universal health coverage, as he leads on ADB’s health sector and collaborates with other sectors and departments to develop and maintain health policies, strategies, and operational plans in alignment with ADB’s goal of working across the developing member countries in the Asia and Pacific for an improved health care provision for poverty reduction and improved human capital.
Doc Dodo is also an honorary visiting Associate Professor, since November 2021 to present, of Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health from the National University of Singapore. He provides invaluable input on universal health coverage, health financing, global and regional health collaboration, comparative health systems and policies, and health policy development.
Doc Dodo has over 32 years of experience, showcasing his extensive experience in a range of organizations focused on health and public health management, including as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the country’s national health insurer. Before joining ADB in 2014, he was the former regional adviser for health economics and health financing of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). He has also worked with the Business Mirror newspaper as a weekly columnist; as a Senior Health Specialist in the World Bank; as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
Doc Dodo was also a faculty member, to teach; conduct research; and scholarly activities to improve standards of the top prestigious universities in the Philippines, which includes the University of the Philippines’ (UP) College of Medicine; Ateneo Graduate School of Business; and Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Doc Dodo completed his degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman; his medical degree from the UP College of Medicine; and his graduate degree of MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
I am a Senior Principal Research Scientist and Deputy Director of the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS, which is part of the Meteorological Service Singapore, MSS). Within CCRS, I am the Head of the Department of Climate Research, providing leadership and guidance to several areas of research undertaken at CCRS. This includes the production of the new set of regional climate change projections for Singapore (Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study, V3), sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction, analysis of tropical processes and climate change impacts research. In this role, I am strongly involved in stakeholder engagements across various sectors of government locally as well as with international partners and collaborators. I started this position back in 2019.
Dr. Chao REN is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. She specializes in applied climatology and climate design. Chao’s multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary research has transferred scientific data into new knowledge to address social needs, enhance policy-making and support evidence-based designs in China, Taiwan, Singapore, The Netherlands and France since 2006. Chao serves as a co-Chief Editor for the Journal of Urban Climate. She has also been elected as a Board Member of the International Association for Urban Climate (2017-2021). She has been involved in several international collaborative research reports, including the IPCC AR6, Climate Change and Cities ARC3.3, and the China annual report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Locally, she serves as a Member of the Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Strategic Committee of the Hong Kong Red Cross. She also serves as the steering committee member of the Global Heat Health Information Network and Southeast Asia Heat Health Hub.
Benjamin first joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 1981 and served as a Foreign Service Officer till his retirement in 2018. Benjamin served in various portfolios in MFA HQ and abroad. Benjamin also served in several Singapore Embassies overseas, including in Brunei, Philippines, the USA, and Laos. He last served as Singapore's Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, from 2007 to 2011.
In 2011, Benjamin joined SRC where he was involved in the restructuring of SRC, adopting a more corporate structure, with strong governance and management. He officially took over as Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer (SG/CEO) in March 2012, overseeing all the humanitarian work of the SRC, both local and overseas, including disaster response and recovery missions. Benjamin has overseen the transformation and growth of SRC, with SRC expanding its suite of humanitarian services to serve the vulnerable in Singapore, particularly the elderly, given the rapidly ageing population of Singapore. SRC has also been in the forefront of developing a robust and resilient society, promoting the learning of First Aid, and more recently initiating psychological first aid and promoting it amongst the public. SRC efforts have been widely recognised, receiving accolades from several government agencies, SRC has also seen its role as a thought leader in the field of humanitarian work grow significantly over the last few years.
Mr William has served on the Boards of St Andrew’s Mission Hospital, Operation Mobilisation, Special Olympics Asia Pacific, and the People's Association (till June 2023), and is Chairman of the Sample Oversight Committee of the Health Sciences Authority. Mr William was awarded the National Day Long Service Medal in 2008 and the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2023. For his efforts in promoting Lao-Singapore relations he was awarded the Friendship Cross by the Lao Government in 2011.
Mr Chiu Wen Tung is Group Director (Research & Development) at Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). He leads his team to research for solutions to meet Singapore’s future planning needs and steers URA’s research programmes.
Wen Tung was previously Executive Director (Resource Development) in EDB, responsible for planning and securing resources needed for industries to grow in Singapore.
Wen Tung graduated with a Masters in Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College, United Kingdom and with High Honours from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive MBA programme.
Dr. Yuka Ujita, Japanese national, is a medical doctor by profession and holds Ph.D in Preventive Medicine from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan (UOEH).
On a foundation of her work experience in the medical field, as a certified occupational physician, paediatrician, and travel health practitioner, she offered Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) services to both workers and employers in various settings.
In 2003, she joined the ILO Subregional Office for East Asia. Since then, Dr. Ujita has contributed to improvement and promotion of safety and health at work through policy and technical advice, training, knowledge sharing, awareness raising and project backstopping both at the HQ and in the field offices.
The areas she has particularly covered include OSH data, safety and health of vulnerable groups of workers (female workers, young workers, migrant workers, and those in informal economy) and hazardous child labour.
Mr. Silas Sng started his career in 1997 with the Ministry of Manpower as an engineer cum inspector. He gained his operational experience inspecting factories and equipment such as boilers and cranes, as well as leading investigation into fatal or serious accidents. Silas went on to assume various leadership role in the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate as well as in the Work Injury Compensation Department. Silas was also instrumental in the development of the Workplace Safety and Health Act that was enacted in the 2006.
On 1 April 2019, Silas was appointed as the Commissioner and Divisional Director for the Occupational Safety and Health Division. He is entrusted with the honor and responsibility to lead the division to achieve the next level of WSH improvements in Singapore guided by the WSH2028 strategies.
Email: Silas_sng@mom.gov.sg
Dr Jeffrin Yusof, Acting Associate Specialist and Occupational Medicine Physician at the Occupational Health Division, and Head of Environmental Health Division at the Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam. Member of the Occupational Health Committee for Brunei Darussalam, with members comprising of academics, occupational health specialists, the public and private sectors - the Committee oversees Occupational health legislations, regulations and policies within the country.
Darryl Lucian S. Bautista, MD, FPCOM
- Graduate of B.S. Biology Major in Cell Biology at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños
- Graduate of Doctor of Medicine at the Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, Manila
- Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine
COL MOHAMED FEROZ BIN MOHAMED AKBER career in the Singapore Armed Forces spans across 24 years of dedicated service to the nation. He is currently the Head of Army Safety Inspectorate (ASI) and is responsible for the Singapore Army’s Safety Systems and protocols.
COL Mohamed Feroz graduated from the National University of Singapore and holds a Masters in Military Studies with Distinction from the Marine Corps University in the USA. He completed his Command and Staff College with the United States Marine Corps at Virginia, USA achieving Distinguished Graduate.
During his career, he was Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion and more recently, Commander of an Infantry Brigade. His Staff tours included serving in the Singapore Army’s Training Department and the Future Systems and Technology Directorate. COL Mohamed Feroz has also served as a Trainer in the SAF Basic Military Training Centre, and at the Officer Cadet Schools in Singapore and New Zealand.
As the Head of Army Safety Inspectorate, his team has led the digital transformation of the Singapore’s Army Safety System. His team partnered institutes of higher learning to leverage AI and data analytics, to shift our Safety Management Systems towards one that is data-driven, and enables the Army to better anticipate potential mishaps. He is deeply committed to lifelong learning and professional development, ensuring that he stays at the forefront of military safety standards and best practices.
Dr. Dorothy Ngajilo is an Occupational Medicine Specialist working with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Occupational and Workplace Health Programme. She is responsible for WHO global work on occupational health in the context of climate change, including heat stress at work. Prior to joining WHO, Dr. Ngajilo worked in academic, governmental, and clinical settings, in Tanzania and South Africa, focusing on occupational health research, clinical care, and capacity building.
Dr. Ngajilo is a Medical Doctor with Occupational Medicine specialty training from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is also a Fellow of the College of Public Health Medicine (Occupational Medicine) of South Africa.
Dr Jean Liu is a Director at the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, and adjunct Assistant Professor at Yale-NUS College and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
She has published >30 research papers focused on how external factors (e.g. new forms of technology) influence health behaviors and outcomes. She has also taught tertiary level courses on behavioral science, well-being, and health psychology.
In recognition of her expertise, Dr Liu served as consultant to the World Health Organisation and the Central Provident Board. She is a Council Member for the Agency for Care Effectiveness, expert panelist for the Health Promotion Board, and board member for several non-profit organisations. Her research insights are frequently featured in media outlets and have been discussed in parliament.
Ms Delphine Fong manages the Sport Safety Division of Sport Singapore since the Division’s inception in 2005. She has been actively engaged in sports safety promotion and drowning prevention programs; conceptualized and developed the Sports Safety and Water Safety Champs program, the ‘Buddy-Up’ and the ‘Be Seen, Swim Safely’ national seminar and campaigned the first Water Safety Networking Session in 2006. More than 15,000 students, teachers, volunteers and working adults have attended the sports safety champs’ program.
She has also produced more than 100 sports safety guides and collaterals, conducted more than 700 workshops and presentations both locally and overseas. In addition, she has investigated and reviewed more than 30 sports incidents in Singapore. Her passion for sport safety inspired her to develop the sports safety excellence framework for Singapore, its ecosystem and implementation plans which had been shared with partner sporting agencies from countries such as Korea, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and China.
She contributes to the wider Singapore safety movement through her involvement with various committees such as the National Water Safety Council, Sports Safety Committee, Heatwave Work Group, Concussion Committee, Water Bodies Safety & Rescue Committee, MOE Sports Safety Committee, Safe Community Working Committee, National Haze and Pandemic Taskforce, Recreational Diving Safety Committee, Heat Index Expert Panel, the Dragon boat (2007) and Taekwondo Sports Inquiry (2010), Quality and Safety Standards Committee (Singapore) and Technical Committee (WSH) including several Code of Practice (COP) Work Groups.
She was also the Chairperson of the Sports Safety Working Committee comprising 14 government, non-government organizations and private sector agencies aimed to promote sports safety with relevant stakeholders since 2009. The three key themes conceptualized by her, “Think Safe, Play Safe, and Stay Safe” of the Sports Safety Plan aims to promote safety awareness, develop sports safety guidelines and management system, and raise overall sports safety standards not only in Singapore but around the Asian countries as well. In 2019, she revived the Sports Safety Committee with more than 20 professional representatives to review and update the sports safety guidelines and translating these guidelines into Singapore Standards (SS) incorporating guidelines on heat injury prevention. The standards initiated by her include SS 681:2022 Code of practice for sport safety, SS 700:2023 Code of practice for water safety - aquatic facilities and SS 701:2023 Code of practice for inland and open water activities; work in progress is the SS for gym and studio safety. She has also developed the heat stress management plan uploaded onto the Sport Singapore’s website for use by the sport fraternity.
Her strong belief that collaborative efforts can achieve common goals for safety saw her partnering various agencies such as the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF), Singapore Resuscitation Council now known as the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council (SRFAC), A-Star, Traffic Police (TP), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Land Transport Authority (LTA), SengKang Healthcare, Peoples Association (PA), Ministry of Health (MOH), NEA, SPF, KKH, NTU and PSA to promote lifesaving and injury prevention initiatives.
Delphine has also supported the Asian Youth Games, Youth Olympic Games and helmed the Safety Functional Area (FA) for the 28th SEA Games 2015, 8th ASEAN Para Games 2015 and ASEAN University Games 2016. She also chaired the 28th SEA Games Venue Risk Assessment and Management Working Group comprising various government agencies such as MOM, PUB, NEA, SCDF, SISO and BCA. Under her leadership, she has successfully engaged and worked in partnership with the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) for pro bono support to conduct and validate risk assessments for all training and competition venues as well as perform safety inspections during major Games. The collaboration saw the signing of the MOU on 8 July 2013.
Since 2013, she has single-handedly conducted sports safety training and leadership / team bonding sessions for the committed 120 registered workplace safety volunteers and more than 50 Venue Medical Managers. She was also advisor to other functional areas on safety related matters such as incident reporting and management, inclement weather and haze management including the heat stress management for the sports fraternity. To date, she has coached more than 500 safety volunteers; with 80 volunteers progressing to safety mentors and leaders.
Delphine believes that everyone has a role and responsibility in safety performance. In 2016 upon being certified as a CPR/AED instructor, she set up the CPR/AED Training Centre accredited by the SRFAC to train volunteers deployed at sport facilities and sporting events. She has since progressed to a Chief Instructor. With 50 CPR/AED volunteer instructors under her guidance, they have certified more than 500 volunteers in CPR/AED.
Delphine initiated the implementation of the Computer Vision Drowning Detection System (CVDDS) in all public competition pools which saw her receiving the PST Exemplary Innovator Award 2019 for the accomplishment. Of the 79 nominations, only 5 projects were selected for the award; the CVDDS being one of the projects.
Delphine has also initiated and pioneered several Singapore Standards with the support from the Enterprise Singapore and Standards Development Organization such as the upcoming Safety of Sport Equipment, Safety in Aquatic Facilities, Safety for Open Water Sporting Activities, Safe Climbing and Abseiling, Safety in Outdoor Learning and Adventure etc. She is also the Convenor for the COP for Sports Safety Work Group and Co-convenor for the Open Water Sports Safety Work Group. The COP for Sport Safety SS 681:2022 has been launched on 15 March 2022 by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua. The two Singapore Standards on water safety were launched on 25 Jan 2024.
For her fervent efforts, Delphine was selected as a recipient of the Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Standards Council Commendation Award for her pivotal role and contribution in the implementation, development and promotion of the Singapore Standardization Programme.
Delphine holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has more than 28 years of experience in facility and safety management system.
2006 Ph.D (Human Sciences) at Waseda University
2007-2010 Research associate, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University
2010-2012 Associate Professor, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University
2012-preset Senior Researcher, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan
Professor Thomas Gassert is a specialist in Internal Medicine and in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and was an Occupational Hygienist prior to medicine.
He has held clinical faculty appointments at several medical schools and hospitals in the Boston area. For the past 30 years he has been affiliated with Harvard University Chan School of Public Health, and has worked in numerous industries for worker health.
He earned a master degree in Occupational Hygiene from the University of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and specialist training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and in Occupational & Environmental Medicine at Harvard School of Public Health.
Over the past decade he has been involved in Basic Occupational Health Services (BOHS) training in Asia and the Pacific, in part as a technical consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO).
He is currently contracted with the WHO Country Office in Lao People's Democratic Republic, in collaboration with key ministries and stakeholders in Lao PDR, to draft a national Occupational Heat Exposure Standard for Outdoor Work, as well as a Guideline for its implementation
Dr. Yang Jiaxi is a Senior Research Fellow and leads the Nutrition and Lifestyle Working Group at the Global Centre for Asian Women's Health (GloW), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the intersection of Nutritional Epidemiology and Women’s Health from a life-course perspective. Dr. Yang's current work includes: 1) investigating the roles of diet and lifestyle factors in cardio-metabolic disorders, and 2) exploring the underlying mechanisms through which modifiable factors influence women's health, in conjunction with biomarker data.
Mrunal is a physician and a public health specialist with over 20 years of experience in designing and implementing large-scale public health programs in India, Africa & South-East Asia. Currently, he works at the UNICEF Indonesia Country Office where he oversees the diverse health portfolio across immunisation, environmental health and mental health, amongst others, designed to address the needs of adolescent’s children, young mothers and newborns through a health system strengthening approach.
Formerly, as the Chief of Health & Nutrition at the UNICEF Ghana Country Office Mrunal was leading the support to the Govt. of Ghana to achieve its SDG’s by providing technical assistance in the areas of immunization including cold chain strengthening, pediatric HIV, environmental health, quality of care, malnutrition, health systems resilience and emergency response preparedness, health financing and the COVID-19 response.
Prior to that, he led the maternal, newborn & child health portfolio at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s India office and was the lead for its Uttar Pradesh (UP) state program where he led the relationships with the government and over saw the implementation of the health systems strengthening and quality improvement initiatives of the foundation.
Prior to joining the foundation, Mrunal led the University of Manitoba’s HIV/AIDS care and support program in two large high prevalence states in India and was the start-up expert for several major HIV prevention, care & support initiatives, directing a team of medical doctors and programmers to establish and scale up programs for sex workers, MSM’s, TG’s, and PLHIV in rural and urban areas.
Prior to that he has worked with the WHO Polio Eradication Program and for India's National AIDS Research Institute. As a member of several state and national-level committees, he has contributed to the formulation of national guidelines, academic curricula, and training modules.
Dr. Shawnda Morrison (CSEP-CEP) is a certified clinical exercise physiologist whose primary research aims encompass extreme environmental physiology, thermoregulation, and countermeasures to exertional heat strain. She is currently serving as Technical Lead at NUS for the project Cooling Singapore 2.0, an interdisciplinary initiative investigating how physical activity in hot, humid conditions impacts vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Dr. Morrison is Principal Investigator or member representative for the Republic of Slovenia on several international initiatives aimed to get kids moving, including: WHO-HEPA Europe, Outdoor Play Canada, the FitBack Network, SLOfit, Global Youth Fitness Forum, and the WHO-WMO Global Heat Health Information Network. She is Founder of Active Healthy Kids Slovenia, and Executive Board member of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance as Chair of the Partnerships and Fundraising Committee.
Michelle Chew Shi Jie has dedicated over a decade to the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement, starting out as a Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Cadet Member in secondary school. Her journey spans diverse capacities, from field volunteering in pre-hospital care services and disaster relief operations to taking on governance roles championing meaningful youth engagement and non-formal education at national and global platforms.
She was recently elected as the Chair of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Youth Commission, becoming the first young person from the Asia Pacific region to hold this position. She now represents the voices of millions of young people globally on the IFRC Governing Board. During her past five years as the Asia Pacific Representative on the Commission, Michelle has been instrumental in launching the RCRC Strategy on Youth-led Climate Action and revising the IFRC Youth Engagement Strategy, encouraging the Movement to remain inclusive and responsive to the evolving needs of young people. She is also serving as IFRC’s Youth Representative to the Global Youth Mobilisation Board, which partnered with the European Union Youth Empowerment Fund to empower youth-led solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of local communities.
At the national level, Michelle currently serves as a Governing Board Member of the MRC. She previously chaired the inaugural National Youth Council of the MRC, established in 2021 following her successful advocacy for institutionalised youth-led structures through a constitutional review exercise of the national society. During her tenure, she has assisted MRC in securing a 3-year partnership with Prudence Foundation to launch the Safe Steps, Safe Schools, Safe Kids (5SK) programme, aiming to equip children and adolescents with life-saving knowledge and skills on topics such as first aid, climate change, and road safety. As a certified instructor at MRC, Michelle has also co-delivered courses on health education and basic first aid, empowering MRC members and public communities to build resilience.
Jericho Wee is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Science and Management and has extensive experience as a Sport Physiologist, supporting national-level youth athletes in high-performance sports.
Jericho's research centers on the physiological responses of ageing adults, both with and without chronic conditions, during exertional heat stress. His specific research focuses on the impact on health and physical performance outcomes, particularly postural balance and fall risk.
He and his team authored a recent comprehensive review on the thermoregulatory effects of common age-related chronic conditions and the medications used to manage them. In this forum, he will share current evidence on how various medications influence thermoregulation in older adults.
A/Prof Mythily graduated from the Lady Hardinge Medical College, India. She received her PhD in Gambling Studies from Monash University and is currently Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Research) and Lead Investigator of the Programme of Mental Health Policy Studies at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). She also has a concurrent teaching appointment at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University Singapore. She has worked in the field of mental health for more than 20 years and her main academic and research interests include psychiatric epidemiology, psychosis and addictions.
Till date, A/Prof Mythily has over 500 publications in peer-reviewed journals. She is a reviewer for several grant bodies as well as mental health journals.
Renzo R. Guinto, MD DrPH is Associate Professor of Global and Planetary Health at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore. Renzo works on diverse aspects of the climate and health nexus such as climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems; impacts of climate change on mental health; climate, migration, and health; climate implications for global health interventions; climate and health education; ethical issues around climate and health, among others. Holding visiting appointments at the St. Luke's Medical Center in the Philippines and the University of Cambridge, Renzo is currently a member of the National Panel of Technical Experts of the Philippine Climate Change Commission; World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on the ethics of climate and health; editorial boards of several journals including The Lancet Planetary Health; and several Lancet Commissions, most notably the Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare and the O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination, and Global Health. An Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader and Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, he has served as consultant for various organizations including the WHO, World Bank, USAID, and Wellcome Trust. At present, Renzo serves as member of the board and chair of the Thematic Working Group on Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems of Health Systems Global, chair of the Committee on Environmental Health and Ecology of the Philippine Medical Association, and convener of Planetary Health Philippines. He obtained his Doctor of Public Health from Harvard University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines Manila, and received further training from Oxford, LSHTM, Copenhagen, Western Cape, Institute of Tropical Medicine-Antwerp, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm School of Economics, and East-West Center in Hawaii. He has traveled to and lectured in nearly 70 countries and 100 universities across the world; published more than 200 reports and articles in scientific journals, books, and popular media; and directed and produced short films that communicate the message of planetary healing to the world. In 2020, Renzo was included by Tatler Magazine in its Gen.T List of 400 leaders of tomorrow who are shaping Asia’s future. In 2022, he was named one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) and Women of the Philippines for pioneering the field of planetary health in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Dr Eliza Cheung specializes in disaster mental health and psychosocial support for her clinical practice, field work, and research. Eliza currently serves as a Clinical Psychologist & Service In-charge of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) at Hong Kong Red Cross. She is also the Technical Advisor of Red Cross Red Cresent Movement MHPSS Hub. She also leads the set-up of the IFRC Asia Pacific MHPSS Collaborative, supporting the region in emergency response, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and engaging in humanitarian diplomacy and resources mobilization. Over the years, Eliza had also coordinated emergency response and preparedness programmes in Hong Kong, China and overseas, including Liberia during the Ebola Virus outbreak (2014), Nepal earthquake (2015), Bangladesh for the population movement (2017), and Afghanistan for the complex emergency (2023).
Eliza is a clinical psychologist by profession and holds a PhD in Public Health, she is also serving as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health and Primary Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Dr Cyrus Ho is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). He is also a Senior Consultant psychiatrist at the National University Hospital, managing psychiatric conditions across the age continuum from adolescence to old age. He is interested in interfacing between medicine and psychiatry, complex mood disorders, neuropsychiatry and public mental health.
He studied medicine at NUS and subsequently obtained a Master of Science in Research from NUS, a Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience from King’s College London and a doctorate from NUS. He also underwent neuropsychiatry training at the Montreal Neurological Hospital in Canada and the Royal Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Unit in Australia under the Ministry of Health (MOH) Health Manpower Development Plan award. He was conferred as a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), the American Psychiatric Association and the Singapore Academy of Medicine for his contribution to Psychiatry.
Dr Ho has published widely, authoring more than 360 academic papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 5 books. Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science) recognised him as one of the Most Highly Cited Researchers in the world for his contributions to cross-field research from 2021 to 2023 and Neuroscience and Behavioural research in 2024.
He teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He currently serves as the Psychiatry Undergraduate Education Director of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and is the Assistant Dean (Student Life and Wellbeing) of the NUS Graduate School.
Dr. Chao REN is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. She specializes in applied climatology and climate design. Chao’s multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary research has transferred scientific data into new knowledge to address social needs, enhance policy-making and support evidence-based designs in China, Taiwan, Singapore, The Netherlands and France since 2006. Chao serves as a co-Chief Editor for the Journal of Urban Climate. She has also been elected as a Board Member of the International Association for Urban Climate (2017-2021). She has been involved in several international collaborative research reports, including the IPCC AR6, Climate Change and Cities ARC3.3, and the China annual report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Locally, she serves as a Member of the Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Strategic Committee of the Hong Kong Red Cross. She also serves as the steering committee member of the Global Heat Health Information Network and Southeast Asia Heat Health Hub.
Yuan Chao is a tenured Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore. He received the Presidential Young Professorship as an assistant professor and founded the Urban Climate Design Lab at NUS, where he is also the principal investigator. As an architect, urban climate researcher, and educator, Yuan's teaching and research focus on climate-sensitive urban planning and design for sustainable, resilient cities. The topics he covers include urban wind environment, traffic-related and transboundary air pollution, anthropogenic heat, passive cooling technologies, and urban greenery. His goal is to support and develop practical planning and design solutions to build sustainability and resilience in real-world scenarios.
Yuan currently leads his research team, in collaboration with MIT and ETH Zurich, to conduct several studies on urban climate and future resilience for high-density cities. He serves as Director of Research in NUS Cities, Associate Editor for Urban Climate (Elsevier), and Editorial Board Member at Landscape and Urban Planning (Elsevier). Yuan’s work has been published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, book chapters, and a self-authored book titled Urban Wind Environment: Integrated Climate-Sensitive Planning and Design, published by Springer Nature. He recently established an IoT Sensing Network and integrated ground-based LiDAR into it for the validation of both microscale and mesoscale urban climate models.
Ashok Behari Lall has been leading the Ashok B Lall Architects since 1981. He is committed to environmentally sustainable and socially responsible architectural practices. With an interest and expertise in resource and energy efficient Affordable Urban Housing solutions for developing countries, Ashok has designed affordable housing projects and researched, published and advocated for appropriate building design strategies and planning regulations that would lead to low-carbon urban futures. Ashok has executed several projects for educational and research institutions and housing in India. He engages with developing architectural curricula for the Indian context and contributes to national professional journals for architecture.
Ashok’s works are widely published. His firm is currently working on type designs for affordable housing for all climatic zones of India. His engagement with academia started in the 1990s with developing curricula and teaching methods to address sustainable architecture. In the former TVB School of Habitat Studies in New Delhi, Ashok was the Dean of Studies.
Ashok’s career highlights include designing or developing the master plans of the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (Jaipur), S M Sehgal Foundation (Gurgaon), Development Alternatives World Headquarters (New Delhi), TATA Energy Research Institute Campus (Gurgaon), and the Transport Corporation of India Headquarters, New Delhi. Invited by Charles Correa, Ashok B. Lall was convener of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission Workgroup on Energy and coordinator of an EU-funded program to develop a controversial web-based teaching package for low-energy architecture.
Ashok graduated from the University of Cambridge U.K. in Architecture and obtained the Architectural Association Diploma in 1970. He is based in New Delhi, India.
Dr. Su Aw is Assistant Professor at the NUS Swee Hock School of Public Health, with nearly a decade of experience in the social service sector. Previously, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Tsao Foundation’s International Longevity Centre, where she co-developed and evaluated the ComSA initiative to promote successful ageing through innovations in integrated health and social care and age-friendly community spaces.
Trained as a behavioural therapist in psychology, Dr. Aw’s early work with families of children with special needs and individuals facing substance abuse challenges shaped her focus on community-based solutions to health and social issues.
With a bachelor’s in psychology and a PhD in Public Health, her research addresses the social determinants of health and strengthens community resilience across Singapore, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. She has developed tools such as the Community Resilience Framework and Good Practice Checklist to support communities with program development, particularly in the context for climate change adaptation.
Dr. Aw has also served as Associate Faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and is a current consultant for the Tsao Foundation.
Sally Edwards is the Coordinator for Health and the Environment for WHO-Western Pacific Region (WPRO). She has worked in various capacities looking at the effects of Climate Change on Human Health and her current areas of focus include early warning systems for heatwaves, droughts, and climate sensitive diseases, the initiative on promoting an environmentally responsible and resilient health sector, green procurement and supporting countries of the Region in the area of Climate Change and Health.
Amy Sim is Internews Asia-Pacific Regional Program Manager (Environment), where she leads a team across the region to strengthen the capacity of journalists, media and other information providers to report effectively on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, ocean conservation and other environmental threats, resulting in increased transparency and accountability of environmental governance. Prior to joining Internews, she spent close to ten years in Indonesia with the World Bank working on community-driven development, communication outreach and public service delivery. She also spent several years at the London-based international NGO, ARTICLE 19, where she implemented programming to improve public access to information and press freedom in Asia. In her free time, Amy writes a bi-weekly column for the Singapore Chinese-language daily, Lianhe Zaobao, where she had her first job as a journalist.
Dr. Jaya Shreedhar is a medical doctor and an award-winning health journalist, whose area of interest is public health journalism with a focus on human rights and health governance. Dr. Shreedhar is also an Adjunct Professor, Health Journalism at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, India. Formerly a Special Health Correspondent for Frontline Magazine at The Hindu, she is Senior Health Media Advisor at Internews and a WHO consultant.
Paritta Wangkiat is EJN's Mekong program officer and the editor-in-chief of Mekong Eye. Before joining EJN, Paritta worked as an award-winning journalist at the Bangkok Post and was the president of the Thai Society of Environmental Journalists. She loves music, art and patting her pets.
Rupa Kumar Kolli is an Honorary Scientist and former Executive Director of the International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO), at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India.
Dr Kolli served as the Chief of World Climate Applications and Services Division at World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, during 2006-2019. He served as the Vice-Chair of the WMO Standing Committee on Climate Services (SC-CLI), during 2020-24. He is currently a core member of SC-CLI and Co-Lead of Expert Team on Climate Services Information Systems for Decision Support. He has been a founding member of the Managing Committee of Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN).
Dr Kolli worked at IITM from 1982 to 2006 and was the Head of its Climatology and Hydrometeorology Division. He co-authored a book on “Climates of South Asia”, published several research papers on climate prediction, climate change and climate services. He contributed as one of the Lead Authors on regional climate projections for the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007. He received his Ph.D. (1981) and M.Sc. (1976) degrees in Meteorology from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India.
Dr Kolli is a Fellow of the Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), and has served as IMS President for the term 2022-24.
Mr Jochen Luther is a Technical Coordinator for Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Services and Applications at the Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – a Specialised Agency of the United Nations (UN) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. He started in this role at the WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (based in Singapore) in August 2023, where he is also the regional WMO focal point for the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Before, since November 2020, he was on secondment to the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), where he worked as a Programme Officer on the donor side on designing and implementing major disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programmes. These are being implemented by UN partners, Multilateral Development Banks, regional organisations, and NGOs. From 2013 to 2020, he was in charge of supporting WMO’s portfolio on disaster risk management through programme coordination, implementation of capacity development projects, policy support, inter-agency cooperation, and advocacy work.
Prior to joining WMO in 2013 as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO), he was a research associate for eight years at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig, Germany and at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) in Dresden, Germany. There he focused on applying scenario planning in flood risk management and on climate change adaptation in urban areas, both as a researcher and technical coordinator within a number of research projects.
He has experience working in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, East Africa, and Central America. He holds an M.Sc. with distinction in geography from Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany and from Université Laval, Québec, Canada. He is fluent in German, English, French, and Dutch.
Juli Trtanj is the One Health and Integrated Climate and Weather Extremes Research Lead for NOAA. She is responsible for developing and implementing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Health Strategy across NOAA and with other federal, state, local and international Agencies, academic and private sector partners. She is leading efforts to build the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, FEMA, OSHA, NIOSH, ASPR, EPA and other agencies. She coordinates the NOAA One Health Working Group which brings together NOAA data, research, information and actions to inform health decision making. She started the first multidisciplinary and multi-partner research program on Climate Variability and Human Health. She developed and directed NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health Initiative focused on Early Warning Systems, Health Benefits from the Sea, and Graduate Training.
Ms. Trtanj co-chairs the US Global Change Research Program, Climate Change and Human Health Group (CCHHG) and represents NOAA on the Pandemic Prediction and Forecasting Science and Technology Working Group. She is an author on the Fourth National Climate Assessment, served on the Steering Committee of the USGCRP Climate and Health Assessment and was a Convening Lead Author for the Water-Related Illness chapter. She is the Integrated Information System for Health Lead for the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and is directly involved with the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners in the development of the Integrated Information Systems for heat, cholera and other water-related illnesses. She has contributed to, reviewed, or edited sections of several IPCC and US National Climate Assessment reports and authored several book chapters and journal articles.
Ms. Trtanj earned her Master in Environmental Science from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in 1994, and her Bachelors in 1986 from the University of California Santa Barbara.
Ms. Moe Thida Win is the Director of Disaster Management at the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and the Co-Lead of the Anticipatory Actions and Emergency Response Preparedness Working Group in Myanmar. In these roles, Ms. Moe leads disaster preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives, focusing on building community resilience, addressing the impacts of climate change, and developing sustainable disaster management strategies.
In 2024, Ms. Moe successfully managed a nationwide heatwave response using the MRCS Emergency Management Fund. By coordinating efforts at the branch level, the response ensured timely and effective support for communities affected by extreme heat. This initiative highlighted the critical importance of localized action and strengthened MRCS’s capacity to address climate-related emergencies.
With over a decade of experience in humanitarian operations, Ms. Moe has implemented Cash and Voucher Assistance programs, developed emergency response plans, and integrated climate risk management into disaster frameworks. A key achievement in this work is the development of the Simplified Early Action Protocol for Heatwaves in Myanmar, which prioritizes community-driven solutions and innovative risk assessments.
Ms. Moe holds two master’s degrees, including the ongoing pursuit of a second degree in Applied Statistics. This academic journey complements an extensive professional background, enabling Moe Thida Win to use data-driven approaches to analyze trends and improve strategies for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. Ms. Moe’s current research focuses on statistical applications for urban heatwave resilience in Myanmar.
Abhiyant Tiwari is the lead climate resilience and health consultant at NRDC India. His interest includes environmental, climate, and disaster risks to public health, and he works to advance evidence-based adaptation and mitigation policies and actions in these areas of interest. He has extensive experience in working with academia, governments, and non profits on public health research, program, policy development, management, and evaluation.
Right from the development and implementation of the first Heat Action Plan(HAP) of South Asia in the city of Ahmedabad in 2013, as a public health researcher and practitioner at the Public Health Foundation of India, Abhiyant has worked with knowledge partners like Natural Resources Defense Council and policy partners like national and sub-national governments on developing, implementing, and scaling heatwave health adaptation plans in South Asia region. In 2019, he led a preliminary study for the National Disaster Management Authority of India to estimate local temperature thresholds for heatwave warning systems in more than 100 cities in India. Abhiyant has also played a pivotal role in developing the pioneering Ahmedabad AIR (Air Information & Response) Plan for air pollution health risk communication in Indian cities. During challenging times of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in his recent role as Assistant Professor at Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management, Gandhinagar, Abhiyant conceptualized, developed, and implemented a Mobile App-based technological solution for effective and real-time surveillance of COVID-19 cases in several districts of Gujarat.
He is a member of the National Disaster Management Authority of India’s technical experts’ group that develops national guidelines for heatwave adaptation plans and a member of the Technical Expert Group on Heat-Related Illnesses constituted by the National Centre for Disease Control, Government of India. He is also a member of the Management Committee of Global Heat Health Information Network: a WHO-WMO Joint Initiative, Regional Technical Working Group for Safe and Disaster Resilient Hospitals in PEER South Asia, Indian Meteorological Society, and a fellow of LEAD India, and Climate Reality. He is trained as a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Environmental Health Sciences from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Dr Gwendolyn T. Pang, the current Secretary General of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), has spent more than 25 years serving the vulnerable and exercising leadership in the Humanitarian Field.
Her dedication to the service of her fellow men started at the Philippine Red Cross where she worked as a volunteer and held various positions culminating in her appointment as Secretary General in April 2009.
After seven years as the Chief Operating Officer of PRC, in June 2016, she was asked to join the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as Head of the East Asia Cluster responsible for China, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia. In the middle of this assignment, from October 2017 to March 2018, Dr. Pang was appointed concurrent Head of Country in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Her IFRC role was further expanded in October 2020 when she took on the position as Deputy Regional Director of the Asia Pacific of IFRC. In this position Dr. Pang was responsible for 38 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. From 2019 onward, Dr. Pang was also an Adviser and Guest Professor at the International Academy of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies based in Suzhou, China.
After six years of coordinating humanitarian interventions in the region, Dr. Pang came home to the Philippines and PRC where she served as a member of the Board of Governors from January 2022 to September 2022 and as Secretary General from October 2022 to the present.
Dr. Pang’s outstanding accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. She was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities by the Lyceum of Northwestern University of the Philippines on April 24, 2023. She was also the recipient of the Florence Nightingale Award, the highest international distinction for a professional nurse for the display of exceptional courage and dedication to victims of armed conflict or natural disasters, which was granted her on May 12, 2015. Closer to home, PRC honored her contributions to the organization and her dedicated and exemplary services to humanity, particularly during the COVID19 pandemic, with the Doña Aurora Aragon Medal Award on December 15, 2021.
Physician Brandon Yew graduated with a double degree in Biomedical Sciences (1st Class Honours from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) and Chinese Medicine (Bachelor from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, China). He then started his Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice as an Acupuncturist at the Complementary Integrative Medicine clinic (CIM) within Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).Over the next 7 years, he gained a wealth of clinical experiences across multiple specialties i.e., chronic pain, sports injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular circulatory disorders, respiratory & pulmonary disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, endocrinological disorders, dermatological disorders, urinary &reproductive disorders, immunological disorders, and neurological disorders.
Following his term at TTSH, Physician Brandon moved into private practice as a general physician for a reputable TCM group spanning 2years, with his scope encompassing herbal medicine, acupuncture, and tuina (Chinese manual therapy).
The years of clinical work made Physician Brandon realise that nothing is more valuable and important than having a good quality of life, which is attainable only through a holistic approach towards healthcare. As TCM champions the concept of holism, he began to fully appreciate and embrace the wisdom from this ancient art of healing. Driven by a burning passion to help people, he earnestly hopes his patients can achieve good health and enjoy optimal quality of life, through the best of his abilities in TCM.
Beyond his clinical practice, Physician Brandon periodically conducts health talks, discussions, and workshops to share knowledge and raise awareness in TCM for the public as well as western medical and allied health professionals. He is also a TCM workshop trainer for Family Central by Fei Yue Community Services, and consultant on the panel of healthcare experts for All Things Health online content hub.
Lim Gaik Siang (she/her) is a dedicated heritage conservationist and cultural advocate. She
served as the immediate past president of the Penang Heritage Trust from 2015 to 2024.
Currently, she is an Expert in both the Tangible and Intangible Committees of the Penang State
Heritage Commissioner and a member of the MBPP Technical Review Panel, a role she has held
since 2015. Additionally, she acts as the Cultural and Heritage Advisor to the Penang Teochew
Association and is a former member of the Consultative Panel of George Town World Heritage
Incorporated.
In recognition of her significant contributions to heritage preservation, Lim was awarded the
National Treasure Guardian by China’s CCTV National Treasure program in 2018 and the
“Canton Friendship Award” by the government of Canton in 2023.
Lim’s journey in heritage management and conservation began in 1999 when she convened the
Chinese Colloquium for Penang Story and contributed to the preparation of the nomination
dossier that led to the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. In
2003, she served as honorary conservation consultant to the Penang Teochew Association,
spearheading the physical restoration of the Han Jiang Ancestral Temple and association
building. These efforts earned the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage
Conservation in 2006. Lim continued her work as an honorary conservation consultant in 2010
for the restoration of the Sun Yat-Sen Penang Base and Yin Oi Tong.
A staunch advocate for intangible cultural heritage, Lim initiated a baseline inventory of
traditional trades and artisans in 2012 and an inventory of traditional festivals in 2013. Her
passion for cultural and heritage preservation has led her to curate numerous exhibitions,
including the Sun Yat-Sen Base exhibition (2001), the Penang Sun Yat-Sen Heritage Trail (2011),
the Journey of Chinese Migration to Malaysia (2013), and the Penang Teochew Opera and
Puppet Museum (2014).
As an engaging speaker, Lim has delivered presentations on cultural, historical, and heritage
topics on various prestigious platforms, including the Shanghai Expo (2010), TEDx Petaling
(2013), and TEDx Nibong Tebal (2017). She has also been an honorary speaker on culture and
heritage during visits by dignitaries such as President Abdul Kalam of India (2008), Premier Wen
Jiabao of China (2011), and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (2017). Her work has been featured
in local and international media outlets, including CNN, CCTV China, and television stations in
Singapore and Taiwan, showcasing Penang’s rich built and intangible cultural heritage to the
world.
In 2017, Lim published a chapter on wood carvings and their interpretations in the book ‘Within
the Walls of Tun Tan Siew Sin’s Ancestral Home.’ In 2023, she presented a paper titled “Why
Heritage Conservation is Considered Green Development - Drawing Examples from George
Town World Heritage Site” at the Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance (SEACHA)
conference.
Sanjay K Srivastava is presently the Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction at UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
He leads and guides ESCAP’s analytical policy research on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation that feeds into the UN intergovernmental meetings, negotiations, and agreements as well as supports to development of national DRR strategies, National Adaptation Plan etc.
Prior to the present position, he was the ESCAP Regional Adviser on Disaster Risk Reduction; Head of SAAARC Disaster Management Centre – New Delhi; Scientist/Engineer and Deputy Project Director of Disaster Management Support Programme at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at ISRO HQ Bangalore since 1991.
He has received 2nd ESCAP innovation awards (2022 and 2024) and is the recipient of ISRO’s Team excellence award in 2008-09. He has more than 150 publications to his credit. He is the lead author of the UNESCAP’s Asia-Pacific Disaster Report, WMO’s State of Climate in Asia and State of Climate Southwest Pacific.
Academic qualification: Ph D (Remote Sensing) from IARI, New Delhi 1989; Master of Science (Physics) from Patna University (1984) and Bachelor of Science (Physics Honours) from Patna University 1980. University of California, Berkely Haas (US) – Executive Education - Certificate course on Digital Transformation: Leading People, Data and Technology (2023)
Dr. Luis C. Rodriguez, is the Thematic Lead, Climate and Environmental Crises, for IFRC Asia-Pacific Regional office based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Luis joined IFRC after gaining significant experience in leading and coordinating Global, Regional and National Climate Change initiatives in Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean with multiples international organizations and UN agencies. He has expertise in Climate Adaptation and Resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction and GHG mitigation, and track record mobilizing climate finance, strengthening partnerships, building capacity, and leading multidisciplinary teams in development and emergency settings. Luis is also skilled in Strategic Planning, Program/Project Management, Policy Analysis, and Program Evaluation. He holds a PhD in Ecological Economics and certifications in Project Management and Corporate Finance.
Shabana has been an environment, climate and science journalist at The Straits Times since 2020. Her areas of interest include the links between climate change and health, biodiversity, weather, natural hazards and food security.
Dr Yodi Mahendradhata is Dean and Professor in Health Policy and Management at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. He leads the South East Asia Regional Training Center for Health Research, supported by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). Dr Mahendradhata is a member of the Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Global Steering Group. He is Scientific Advisory Board member of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium and member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group of Experts on NCD-related Research and Innovation. His research interests are knowledge translation, implementation science, tropical medicine, health policy and management. Dr Mahendradhata was a Humboldt scholar at Heidelberg University, Germany. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles published in high impact journals. Dr Mahendradhata serves as Editorial Board member for PLoS Global Public Health, Frontiers in Tropical Diseases and BMC Health Services Research.
Ollie Jay is Professor of Heat and Health and Academic Director of the Heat and Health Research Centre at the University of Sydney. Ollie is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow and has led several large-scale projects that have directly influenced international public health heatwave policies internationally. In 2021, he co-led the first-ever Series on Heat and Health in The Lancet, and his work has recently been profiled in both Science and Nature.
Jason Lee is an Associate Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, where he directs the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre and co-leads the Human Potential Translational Research Programme. He is on the Global Heat Health Information Network Management Committee, and chairs its first regional hub in Southeast Asia, leading efforts at the regional level to scale up efforts in managing the complex health risks posed by rising ambient temperatures. Jason also chaired the Scientific Committee on Thermal Factors at the International Commission on Occupational Health.
Jason Lee obtained his first degree (1st Class Honours) from Loughborough University, UK. Following the award of G V Sibley Memorial Prize, he stayed on to complete a PhD in Exercise Physiology under sponsorship from the UK Overseas Research Scholarship and Faculty Studentship. Jason is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Tapping on his experience as a Commando Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces and domain knowledge, he serves in various national and international panels related to human performance and safety. Jason’s main research interests are in fluid balance, thermoregulation and mitigation strategies for improving human performance. He studies the physiological demands associated with passive and exertional heat stress and how humans adapt to ensure optimum performance and survival. A key outcome of his research is the formulation of a holistic heat management system. This is achieved through profiling the associated heat strain in humans under various settings, designing and evaluating heat mitigation strategies (physical conditioning regimes, heat acclimatisation, pre-activity cooling, work-rest cycles and hydration) and finally translating them into policies such as training directives, training safety regulations and lesson plans. Knowledge gained from his research has also benefitted several other governmental agencies. Jason completed his 12-year tenure at the DSO National Laboratories in 2018 by directing the Human Performance Programme in his final appointment. He has delivered more than 250 invited presentations locally and internationally.