Our Team
The 2023-2024 Leadership Team
This initiative would not have been possible without the dedication of students, faculty, and mentors across the world. Here are the individuals who are spearheading this effort globally.
Taylor Diedrich
CO-DIRECTOR
Taylor Diedrich is a fourth-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine, applying to neurology residency. She loves being part of the PHRC and is excited to continue her role as Co-Director this year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and practicing pilates and bikram yoga.
Isabel Waters
co-director
Isabel is looking forward to being co-director for the second year in a row alongside her partner in crime, Taylor. She was previously the Irish regional lead and worked on the Trinity College Dublin report card as a student. She is currently an intern working in Dublin, interested in the social determinants of health and the the link between human health and the environment!
James Lee
Communications Chair
James Lee has worked with the PHRC in the role of UK Regional Lead for the last two years and is excited to take on our communications this year. In his spare time he is a 5th year medical student at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and has a Masters in Environment and Human Health.
Lauren Franklin
Implementation and analytics
Alex Northrop
grants & Evaluations manager
Alex Northrop is a fourth-year medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in NYC. He recently finished a research year dedicated to environmental health and pediatrics. He is motivated to improve healthcare systems’ response to our changing climate. In his spare time, he loves making ice cream or hiking.
Madeline Power
Partnerships Co-Chair
Madeline Power is a second-year medical student at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Canada. She is new to the PHRC team and is motivated to take on a proactive role in the fight against climate change, aiming to improve its recognition in the curriculum. In her spare time, she loves to go trail running, camping, and cooking for friends!
Lydia Marie-Luise Holtgrewe
Partnerships Co-Chair
Lydia Holtgrewe is a MPH graduate and a 4th year medical student with a great interest in infectious disease epidemiology and student-driven research initiatives and advocacy. She is an executive committee member with Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) and is looking forward to working with the PHRC as a partnership lead to make long-lasting connections with other organizations. If you cannot find her in a random coffee shop working on her projects, she’s most likely hiding from her To-Dos at the gym!
Interdisciplinary Leadership
Hannah Chase
Interdisciplinary Coordinator
Hannah Chase is a FY2 doctor at Oxford University Hospital Trust in the UK. Hannah introduced the initiative to the UK in 2020 and was co-director of the PHRC 2020-22. This year she is taking on the new role of interdisciplinary coordinator, with the aim to help establish and expand the PHRC in as many allied health professions as possible. We are delighted that the PHRC has already had iterations in nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy. Before pursuing medicine, Hannah used to be a vet so is particularly excited to potentially have a veterinary PHRC on the horizon.
Kent Boyd
PHRC NursinG Lead
Kent Boyd is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Minnesota, specialising in Health Innovation and Leadership. He is focusing his studies on planetary health with interest in land use/biodiversity, food systems, systems change, and nature-based solutions. He is the co-lead for the Nursing Planetary Health Report Card.
Catherine Potter
PHRC occupational therapy Lead
Catherine Potter is a second year master’s student studying occupational therapy at the University of East Anglia in the UK. Having worked on environmental leadership projects during her undergraduate degree as well as volunteered for the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare throughout her masters’ course she is looking forward to seeing what a PHRC could mean for occupational therapy students. When off the clock Catherine enjoys yoga, overly ambitious cooking projects and a good book.
Ellie Self
PHRC Pharmacy Lead
Ellie is a resident pharmacist in the UK. Before retraining as a pharmacist, Ellie was a professional dancer and singer, working in musical theatre. She is excited to see what the future holds for the PHRC for pharmacy.
Valeria Sanchez
PHRC Veterinary Lead
Monisha Chinthala
PHRC Dentistry Co-Lead
Monisha Chinthala is a graduate from V. S. Dental College & Hospital, practising as a general dentist in Bengaluru, India. She has been part of the Dental PHRC since its inception, contributing to the pilot and co-leading again this year. Monisha is passionate about the representation of the dental fraternity in the climate movement and was part of the founding team as the first Student-Lead for the Planetary Health Student Club at her alma mater.
Ramyashree Rao
PHRC Dentistry Co-Lead
Ramyashree Rao earned her dental degree from Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and is a practicing dentist from Bengaluru, India. She is passionate about emphasizing the critical role of sustainable oral healthcare practices in climate change and biodiversity preservation. She headed the Planetary Health Student Club in its second year at her graduating institution. Apart from dentistry, her interests lie in art and fashion.
Wanted
PHRC Physiotherapy Lead
This could be you! Apply to phreportcard.org
Regional Leadership
Gunnar Mattson
Regional Co-Lead: Western U.S.
Gunnar Mattson is a second year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the Planetary Health Report Card because he is passionate about the intersection of human health and climate change and he wants to spread awareness about this important issue. In his spare time he loves to hike, swim and scuba dive.
Ellenor Chi
Regional Co-Lead: Western U.S.
Ellenor Chi is a 4th-year medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah and has been involved with PHRC at her institution for three years. She co-established the sustainability-focused student group at her institution. She is planning to match into internal medicine in the spring and intends to continue her sustainability and climate-change-focused work throughout her career.
Chelsea Levi
Regional Lead: Southeastern U.S.
Chelsea is currently a second year medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University and the regional lead for the Southeast US. She is very passionate about studying the intersection of climate change and human health and encouraging healthcare sustainability on both an individual and a systemic level. In her free time, she loves to run and cook!
Stella Protopapas
Regional Lead: Midwestern U.S.
Stella Protopapas is a fourth-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her passion for climate change mitigation began as an Environmental Science major in college. She loves anything to do with the ocean, hiking for hours on end, and pretending that she’s not going to kill every plant she brings home.
Divya Natesan
Regional Lead: Northeastern U.S.
Divya Natesan is a student at the University of Pittsburgh currently on a research year between M2 and M3. She is passionate about sustainability and eliminating health disparities associated with the environment. She enjoys rock climbing, treasure hunting, and being outdoors!
Ava Zardynezhad
Regional Lead: Canada
Ava Zardynezhad is a third-year medical student at the University of Alberta. She’s passionate about environmental sustainability and planetary health equity. She seeks better integration of planetary health into the Canadian medical curriculum and hopes to find inspirations and collaboration through the PHRC. In her spare time, she likes to read and spend time outdoors.
Rebecca McEwen
Regional Co-Lead: United Kingdom
Rebecca McEwen is an intercalating medical student at the University of Aberdeen. After establishing a sustainable medicine society at her University she realised the lack of teaching on the medical school curriculum about climate and environmental issues which inspired her to become a part of the team. Outside of medicine she enjoys playing the flute, saxophone and scuba diving.
Fionán McBride
Regional Co-Lead: United Kingdom
I am a fifth-year medical student at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). This is my third year on the QUB PHRC team, and last year I was the school lead. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on our team, and I hope to use the experience I have gained over the past two years to encourage and support all of our regional teams. Alongside planetary health I am also interested in decolonisation and indigenous healing, and how these can be incorporated into sustainability and environmental health education.
Dylan Dimond
Regional Lead: Ireland
Dylan Dimond is a final year medical student at Trinity College Dublin. This is his third year with the PHRC. He is interested in general practice and sustainable healthcare. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, rock climbing and playing music.
Giorgos Koropiotis
Regional Lead: Greece
Sıla Gürbüz
Regional Lead: Türkiye
Sıla Gürbüz is a fifth-year medical student at Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine in Türkiye. This term marks her second year as the PHRC regional leader of Türkiye. She has been a climate change and environment activist for a decade and a health advocate since her first year of medical school. She is currently working with a professional national working group to officially incorporate Planetary Health into the core medical curriculum. She advocates for involving youth as partners in health policy implementation and design. In her spare time, she loves to travel, experiencing different cultures and cuisines in the best possible sustainable way! You can email her directly using planetaryhealthturkiye@gmail.com.
Oumnia Anfer
Regional Lead: Morocco
Oumnia ANFER is a fourth year medical student from the Faculty of medicine and pharmacy of Casablanca, Morocco. Her sense of advocacy for Planetary Health led her to be an engaged member as the Contact point of YOUNGO Health WG that she represents at the Health Steering Committee of COP28 Presidency. She is an ambassador of the African Youth Climate Hub, that she is proudly representing at the Steering Group of the Youth UNESCO Climate Action Network YoU-CAN as the Secretary.
Estelle Delamare
Regional Co-Lead: Switzerland
Estelle Delamare is a second-year resident in paediatrics in Geneva University Hospital. Estelle created with other students and teachers a planetary health curriculum in Geneva University. She is really motivated to stay active for planetary health in her clinical years. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time in the forest listening to birdsong.
Anja Jost
Regional Co-Lead: Switzerland
Anja Jost is a second year medical student at the University of Bern, Switzerland. As an active member of Health for Future Switzerland Anja advocates for Planetary Health inside and outside the University. Anja hopes to not only convince her grandparents of the link between health and climate change, but as many people as possible.
Emily Coady
Regional CO-Lead: australia & Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Emily is a third year medical student at the University of Notre Dame Australia. She works with several climate and health organisations, notably the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) Code Green chapter and Doctors for the Environment Australia, and is passionate about improving access to planetary health in medical education. She is very excited to help lead Australia’s inaugural involvement with the PHRC, and help continue the great work already being done by medical schools in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Grant Silbert
Regional CO-Lead: australia & Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Grant is a final year medical student at the University of Melbourne with a background in politics and languages. He is heavily involved with Doctors for the Environment Australia, and is author on several editions of the Lancet Countdown. Grant is passionate about the interplay between climate and health justice, and seeks to complement his clinical practice with policy and advocacy work in this space.
Aya Yokwe
Regional CO-Lead: South Africa
Lauren Pinder
Regional CO-Lead: South Africa
Lauren Pinder is a second-year medical student at the University of Cape Town. She is passionate about the intersection of planetary health and human health and how this disproportionately affects those who had little to do causing the climate crisis, thereby focussing on climate equity. Outside of medicine, she plays basketball, and violin and piano, and loves spending time outdoors.
Arya Pontula
Regional Lead for NEW Countries
Arya Pontula is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Manchester. She has previously served as a youth co-petitioner on carbon dioxide emission legislation in the state of North Carolina and has also co-led the Planetary Health Report Card at Manchester. Arya is excited about expanding her impact by helping new countries join the PHRC. She is passionate about the health impacts of climate change, healthcare sustainability (especially in surgical fields), and general/cardiothoracic surgery. In her free time, she enjoys running, swimming, hiking, playing football/soccer, learning new languages, and spending time with her family.
Renato Gomes Martins
Regional Lead: Portugal
My name is Renato Gomes Martins, I´m a 5th year Medical Student at the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã. As a future healthcare professional, I am aware of the challenges I´ll have to face. One of those challenges is the climate change we are facing. My goal is to help everyone to figure out the same thing and I think that PHRC can be one of the steps to achieve my goal. Together we can make the world a better place.
Prasoon Pattanaik
Regional Lead: India
Prasoon is a third-year medical student at SCB Medical College and Hospital and with a deep-rooted passion for both healthcare and sustainability, he has been an active part of PHRC for over two years. On the path to becoming a doctor, he aspires to combine his love for healthcare with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship throughout his career. Beyond the hospital walls, Prasoon enjoys content creation and photography, cultivating plants and flowers, and nurturing his connection to the mountains. With a sincere desire to foster green practices and a growing collection of houseplants, he is on a mission to positively impact the world, one patient and one plant at a time.
Nino Tsouloukidse
Regional Co-Lead: Sweden
Nino is a final-year master’s student at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, currently conducting her thesis on reproductive health. She has a strong interest in climate justice and regards planetary health as a vital feminist issue. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, dancing to electronic music, listening to obscure medical history podcasts, and reading.
Clara Kihlborg
Regional Co-Lead: Sweden
Clara is a 4th year medical student at Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm. She has been inolved in med student driven planetary health projects for the past 1.5 years, and this is her first year participating in the PHCR. She is looking forward to working with these questions in various ways throughout her career and being part of greening the healthcare system.
PHRC Pharmacy
Led by Ellie Self, PHRC Pharmacy continues to expand internationally. Meet the team below and you can read more about PHRC Pharmacy on their dedicated webpage.
Sena
PHRC Pharmacy
Sena is a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Hacettepe University. She is actively engaged in research related to cancer treatment as part of her education and has a keen interest in science. Additionally, she is in her first year at PHRC and has previously worked on and led projects related to climate crisis issues. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, tango, exploring philosophy, and reading books.
Lauren
PHRC Pharmacy
Lauren is a fourth year Pharmacy student at the University of Nottingham from East London. She has a strong interest in the co-benefits of reducing harm to our environment and human health, sparked by completing her dissertation about inclusion of planetary health content into the MPharm degree. In her free time she loves to dance, run and read.
Simroop
PHRC Pharmacy
Simroop is a fourth-year PharmD student from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She is passionate about research at the intersection of pharmacy and the environment and intends to continue working in this sector after graduation. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her nieces, nephews, and her 4-year-old American Bulldog, Thomas Romeo.”
Diane
PHRC Pharmacy
Diane is a second-year pharmacy student at the University of Colorado. She enjoys all things green and photography.