Cristina O'Callaghan

Cristina is an Associate Professor at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and has been part of the Faculty of Health Sciences since February 2020. She co-directs the Inter-University Master’s Program in Planetary Health and leads the Barcelona InTerdisciplinary research group on plAnetary heaLth (BITAL). She is also an associated researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). Cristina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Barcelona (UB).

Her research examines how human-driven changes to Earth’s natural systems affect health. She focuses on three main areas. First, environmental pollution and health, particularly the impact of heavy metals from extractive industries on Indigenous communities in the Global South. Second, climate change and human health, especially how high temperatures affect vulnerable groups such as workers and the elderly. Third, capacity building in planetary health education, through integrating it into undergraduate programs and supporting new postgraduate initiatives.