Burcin Ikiz

Bio

Burcin Ikiz, PhD, is a neuroscientist and global health advisor whose work explores how climate change, environmental degradation, and broader ecological crises affect brain health across the lifespan. Her research focuses on identifying the neurobiological and psychosocial impacts of climate-related stressors, such as air pollution, heat, displacement, and food insecurity, and translating these insights into public policy, prevention, community-based adaptation strategies, and planetary health solutions.

Dr. Ikiz is the Founder and Director of EcoNeuro, a research initiative that bridges neuroscience and the environment, and the Chair of the International Neuro Climate Working Group (NCWG), a global consortium comprising over 200 researchers, clinicians, and public health experts. NCWG was recently recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the top global initiatives addressing the intersection of mental health and climate change. She is also the Co-Founder and President of Banyan Commons, a nonprofit action tank advancing ecological brain resilience.

She serves on the scientific advisory boards of the Climate Cares Centre (UK), the Climate Clinic (Turkey), and the Climate Mental Health Network (U.S.), and advises organizations including the World Health Organization, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education. She is currently collaborating with Stanford’s CIRCLE Initiative, which spearheads community interventions for climate-related mental health.

Her ongoing projects include leading the Global Brain Resilience Framework, developing a Brain Vulnerability and Resilience Index, and creating a landmark State of the Science Report on climate change and brain health. She is also involved in international research and policy initiatives on heat, air pollution, brain aging, and neurodevelopment; contributes to the State of Global Air 2025 report; and supports WHO efforts to develop training tools on air pollution, brain, and mental health. She is co-editing a forthcoming open-access book with MIT Press, Toward an Ecological and Green Neuroscience Universe. Dr. Ikiz is a frequent speaker at international policy forums, including the United Nations, COP, and World Bank thematic dialogues.

At Stanford, she contributes to transdisciplinary efforts linking psychiatry, neuroscience, and planetary health, with a focus on advancing brain health equity in an era of ecological change.