Keynote Speakers

Dr Ying Zhang MD, PhD, is an epidemiologist at School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. For more than 15 years, Dr Zhang’s research and teaching have focused on climate change and health, aiming to help the most vulnerable populations better adapt to climate change by building community resilience. Her career has a strategic focus on the Asia Pacific Region, which is the most culturally diverse and also the most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events. She is currently Board of Director, Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA); Treasurer, Australasian Epidemiological Association (AEA); Co-Chair, Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Working Group on Environmental Health.

Dr. Meghnath Dhimal works as a Chief Research Officer at the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), Government of Nepal. He completed his MSc in Environmental Sciences from Tribhuvan University in 2004 and PhD in Geo-sciences (Environmental Health Sciences) from the Goethe University in 2015. In his current role as a Chief Research Officer at NHRC, he contributes to research, academics, policy making and capacity building in research process. He has also served the World Health Organization (WHO) in the capacity of Temporary Adviser as well as in the capacity of Climate Change and Health Expert and has been worked in Nepal, Maldives and Timor-Leste. Currently, he is chairing global health group at Global Young Academy since May 2018. Beside these, he serves as an Associate  Editor of Global Health Section of BMC Public Health Journal. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal papers, essays, technical reports and articles in the popular press.