Congratulations to Dr. Janny Ke and Dr. Matthias Gorges on receiving a Climate Catalyst Award for their innovative project: Engagement, and Knowledge Dissemination of Mitigation Strategies for the Impact of Climate Change on Health.

The Climate Catalyst Awards provide seed funding to support innovative, interdisciplinary research collaborations that advance climate solutions across UBC. As Knowledge Exchange Award recipients, Dr. Ke and Dr. Gorges have been awarded $2,500–$5,000 each to support their project.

With climate change increasingly impacting healthcare through extreme heat, wildfire smoke, severe weather events, and disruptions to essential services, this project seeks to strengthen the resilience of perioperative and broader healthcare systems. Dr. Ke and Dr. Gorges will lead a multidisciplinary working group to identify key vulnerabilities and develop evidence-informed strategies to help healthcare systems adapt while maintaining high-quality patient care.

Building on this work, the project will bring together clinicians, patients and caregivers, policymakers, engineers, Indigenous leaders, and climate scientists through a hybrid Café Scientifique. This collaborative forum will provide an opportunity to share perspectives, review emerging findings, and build consensus on priorities for climate adaptation in healthcare. The project will then produce a review manuscript and publicly accessible knowledge translation resources to help support broader awareness and implementation of effective mitigation strategies.

Congratulations once again to Dr. Ke and Dr. Gorges on this well-deserved recognition and on their leadership in advancing climate-resilient healthcare.

Learn more about the Climate Catalyst Award Winners here!