Planetary Health Postdoctoral Fellowship

About the fellowship

The Planetary Health Postdoctoral Fellowship, managed collaboratively by the Center for Innovation in Global Health, the Center for Human and Planetary Health, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, cultivates new knowledge and solutions at the intersections of health and the environment. Through two-year fellowships, the program supports early-career researchers in conducting mentored research on cutting-edge human and planetary health challenges – and developing solutions for a healthier future.

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Summary

Fueled by a sense of urgency to protect health in a rapidly shifting world – especially in historically marginalized communities – human & planetary health focuses on developing solutions that simultaneously promote health, environmental stewardship, and social impact. Through this two-year postdoctoral fellowship, early-career researchers conduct cutting-edge, interdisciplinary, solutions-oriented research by working with faculty mentors at Stanford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine – building their careers in the field of planetary and developing critical new evidence and impact.

Founded by the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health,  the fellowship is run in partnership with the Stanford Center for Human and Planetary Health, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

This fellowship is funded by Stanford’s Sean N Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research, The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Diana Chapman Walsh, and LSHTM’s Peter Piot Fellowships for Global Health Innovation. 

Objectives

• Develop evidence on emerging health risks to protect vulnerable populations impacted by climate change
• Assess the health consequences of environmental inaction to drive new policies & interventions
• Identify strategies to simultaneously advance health, environmental stewardship & community resilience
• Train early-career researchers and provide opportunities to gain skills in new disciplines for human & planetary health impact

Application

Applications are now open for the position based at Stanford, deadline June 20th, 2025 (link at the bottom of this page). Applicants interested in the LSHTM-based position should apply via the LSHTM website (applications expected to open in late Spring 2025). 

More details on the program:

• Format of the fellowship: This fellowship is supported by both Stanford and LSHTM. Our next fellow selected from the current round of applications will be based at Stanford and receive mentorship and support from faculty and partners at both universities. Throughout the two-year fellowship, fellows interact with core faculty, work on research papers, and plan research activities.
• Research focus areas: Candidates are expected to apply with a specific research agenda in mind. Candidates are invited to select any focus area at the intersections of environment and health – with an emphasis on understanding and addressing upstream drivers and solutions. In their research activities, fellows are encouraged to engage with historically marginalized populations across diverse geographic settings. Based on the research interests of the fellow and their mentor(s), fellows will select a research focus and research site. Fellows may also select a research site in which they have previously been involved so long as a suitable faculty mentor can be identified. Areas of potential research include but are not limited to:
  • Food security and the environmental impacts of crop and livestock production
  • Healthy cities, clean air and water, sustainable transport
  • The health implications of extreme weather events
  • The impact of climate change and land use on infectious and vector-borne diseases
  • The impact on health of environmental waste such as micro plastics
  • The link between climate change and non-communicable diseases
• Requirements: Fellows will enjoy substantial time to pursue their research interests and will be expected to present their research both internally and at international meetings, as well as publish their research findings in international peer-reviewed journals. Fellows will also have the opportunity to contribute to teaching, for example as teaching assistants or guest lecturers, on relevant courses. Fellows are expected to actively participate in the development of planetary health at both Stanford and LSHTM, including through program development, participation in events and other activities, and student engagement.
• Eligibility: This fellowship program is open to researchers from anywhere in the world who are within three years of successfully completing their doctoral degree. Prior research output in the intersections of health and environmental science is a prerequisite. As instruction and support will be provided in English, high-level proficiency in the English language is a requirement of the fellowship. Candidates from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds are invited to apply, including global health, health systems, epidemiology, health policy, environmental science, environmental policy, disease ecology, and more.
• Compensation: Fellows receive a competitive postdoctoral salary, full benefits, and modest travel and fieldwork budgets. To supplement the research funding available, fellows are invited to transfer existing awarded funding and encouraged to apply for additional research funding during their fellowship.
• Timeline: Applying to the fellowship entails two stages. In the first stage of the application, candidates are required to submit a CV and 1-page description of their proposed research project, due June 20th, 2025. In the second stage, shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit additional materials – including a research proposal, submission video, and letters of recommendation – in Summer 2025. The selected fellow will start their two-year fellowship in early 2026.

Apply Here

Project Highlights

Our past and current fellows’ research spans a range a human & planetary health topics, including those highlighted below. Fellows are invited to propose any topic of human & planetary health research.

• Mental health & resilience: Researching mental health responses to environmental change in young people facing eco-anxiety and lower-resourced communities contending with climate disasters – and identifying opportunities to build resilience.
• Air quality & health: Assessing the impacts of climate change on air pollution and health – and how these findings can influence carbon pricing and build policy support for climate action.
• Ecology, agriculture & infectious disease: Exploring how ecological changes and agricultural practices impact local infectious disease transmission – and transcribing this knowledge to public health interventions.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

For questions, please contact us at stanford-hph@stanford.edu and include the name of the fellowship in the subject line.