Our Planet, Our Health team
Supports health professionals, policy makers and researchers to understand and find solutions to planetary health challenges.
We are one of Wellcome’s science teams and oversee the Our Planet, Our Health programme.
We support health professionals, policy makers and researchers to:
- understand the links between human activity, our environment and our health
- find and implement solutions to planetary health challenges.
Interim Head
Madeleine leads our programme.
She previously held senior research positions at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. She also served as director of the IRI/PAHO-WHO Collaborating Centre on Early Warning Systems for Malaria and Other Climate-Sensitive Diseases.
Madeleine originally trained as a field entomologist. She spent much of her early career doing operational research to support large-scale health interventions, mainly in Africa.
She studied at the University of Sheffield (BSc), Imperial College London (MSc) and the University of Liverpool (PhD).
Follow her on Twitter: @madthomson
Team PA
Patricia is the point of contact for anything related to Madeleine Thomson’s calendar.
Before joining Wellcome, Patricia supported principals at various businesses and UN agencies.
She has an MA in international relations, and speaks French, English and German.
Senior Science Lead – Food Systems, Nutrition and Health
Modi leads our research, partnership and policy work on healthy diets and sustainable food systems.
Before joining Wellcome, she was Director of Policy and Global Health at the UK Health Forum. Modi played a major role in incorporating sustainability concerns into the UK government’s Eatwell Guide, and promoting sugar reduction in Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action.
She studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MSc and DrPH).
Follow her on Twitter: @ModiMwatsama
Senior Science Lead – Cities
Jose leads our research, partnership and policy work on how to make cities healthier and more sustainable.
He was most recently a research fellow at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) in Kuala Lumpur, where he led research, policy and capacity-building efforts in urban health.
Jose was also a co-investigator for Salud Urbana en América Latina (SALURBAL), a Wellcome-funded project to improve urban health across Latin America.
He studied at Cornell University (BS), the University of Michigan (MPH and PhD), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (postdoc) in Austria.
Follow him on Twitter: @josegsiri
Portfolio Advisor
Lukasz manages our research portfolio.
He previously worked on the Million Death Study, an ongoing, large-scale survey tracking patterns of mortality in India.
He studied at the University of Guelph (BSc) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MSc and PhD). His MSc was in public health and he did his PhD on sustainable food systems.
Programme Manager
Zoe is responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of the Our Planet, Our Health programme. She is also leading Wellcome’s sustainability strategy.
She has spent her career working in the charity sector. Before joining Wellcome, Zoe worked at The Health Foundation, delivering funding programmes focused on improving health and care in the UK and Ireland. She previously worked at the Sustainable Restaurant Association (Food Made Good), tackling food waste and helping the hospitality sector improve its sustainability.
She studied at McGill University, Canada (BASc), and City, University of London (MSc). Her MSc was in food policy.
Project Support Officer
Anisha supports and coordinates our events and projects.
She previously worked as a peer educator with the Department for International Development in Zimbabwe. This involved organising campaigns and facilitating sessions in schools and rural communities about malaria, HIV and children’s rights.
She studied at the University of Nottingham (BSc). Her dissertation focused on the use of lichens as bio-monitors of air quality and pollution.
Science Officer
Hannah supports our scientific portfolio.
She previously worked as a Grants Adviser at Wellcome. Before joining Wellcome, she was an International Support Officer for the Nutrition Society. This involved supporting the day-to-day running of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences secretariat and working on other international projects.
She studied at the University of Bristol (BSc) and King’s College London (MSc).
Read summaries of the grants awarded under the Our Planet, Our Health programme.
