Dr Elizabeth (Liz) Hanna Chairs the Environmental Health Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Association. Prior to that she was President of the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) for 6 years until 2017.

Late in 2008, she joined the Australian National University to work with Prof Tony McMichael on Climate Change and Health. While at ANU, Dr Hanna convened Australia’s National Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Human Health, spanning all areas that climate change affects human health and wellbeing, and directed several research projects. She is currently an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the Fenner School for Environment and Society at the ANU, and affiliated with the ANU Climate Change Institute.

Liz designed and conducted climate change vulnerability assessments for Australia and the Pacific Island Nations as a government consultant. Her own research focuses on adaptation to climate change, disasters, fires and predominantly in the area of heat exposures in urban, rural and occupational settings.

Her most recent work analysed the increasing heat risks for tropical regions of Northern Australia by examining the climatic data since 1911, and projected future warming on the impacts to human health and societal functioning.

Prior to moving to the ANU, Dr Hanna lived in North East Victoria for 10 years on a merino wool and beef property, where she was Assistant Director of Nursing at Wangaratta Base Hospital, and Foundation Head of the School of Nursing at La Trobe Uni Shepparton Campus. Her PhD investigated Australia’s reliance on Agricultural and Veterinary chemicals, exposure patterns, health protection behaviours, health outcomes as well as health protection offered by the health sector and Australia’s Chemical Management Framework.