Tamara Iungman and Marcos Quijal Receive UPF’s Extraordinary Doctoral Awards for their Research on Heat, Climate Change, and Health

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) researcher Tamara Iungman and former ISGlobal researcher Marcos Quijal have received two of the Extraordinary Doctoral Awards granted by Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) for their doctoral theses focused on the effects of temperature and urban environments on population health.

Tamara Iungman received the award for her thesis entitled “Urban heat islands and nature-based solutions: insights into health impacts and urban planning determinants”, supervised by Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of the Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health Programme at ISGlobal. Her research examines the health impacts of urban heat islands (UHIs) and evaluates the effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in mitigating these effects across European cities.

The thesis highlights how rising temperatures intensified by the urban heat island effect represent a major health threat in urban areas, particularly in Europe, where they have been associated with increased mortality. Through the analysis of urban environments and planning strategies, Iungman demonstrated that increasing urban tree cover density can help reduce temperatures and mitigate some of the adverse health impacts associated with extreme heat. It also analysed how different urban planning models influence environmental exposures, CO₂ emissions and health outcomes.

As part of her research, Iungman evaluated Barcelona’s “Green Corridors” plan as a case study, identifying significant health benefits linked to increased exposure to green spaces. Her findings contribute to the ongoing debate on optimal urban heat mitigation strategies and underline the multiple benefits of Nature-based Solutions for healthier and more sustainable cities.

Marcos Quijal received the award for his thesis entitled “Temperature impacts on mortality at different spatial and temporal scales”, supervised by Joan Ballester Claramunt, Research Professor and coordinator of The Adaptation Group at ISGlobal, and Marc Marí-Dell'Olmo, Senior Public Health Officer at the Barcelona Public Health Agency. Quijal’s research investigated the relationship between temperature and mortality across different spatial and temporal scales, addressing the health impacts of rising temperatures in the context of climate change.

The thesis introduced new methods to account for the spatial dependence in exposure-response associations, making it possible to estimate risks in small areas more accurately. It also used temperature projections to estimate future temperature-related mortality under different climate change scenarios. 

In addition, Quijal’s research combined health data with weather forecasts to show how predicted temperatures in the coming days could translate into health impacts. His findings support the development of more effective heat–cold–health early warning systems and climate adaptation strategies (see the tool Forecaster Health).

With these recognitions, the UPF highlights the scientific excellence and societal relevance of both doctoral theses, which contribute to advancing knowledge on climate, urban planning and health, and to supporting the transition towards healthier and more resilient cities.