Supervisory team
Nagasaki University
- Ramita Thawonmas (Lead supervisor) - [email protected]
- Lina Madaniyazi - [email protected]
LSHTM
- Kai Wan (PHP) - [email protected]
- Shakoor Hajat - [email protected]
Project
Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events worldwide, posing growing risks to both physical and mental health. Although the adverse effects of high temperatures on physical health are well documented, much less attention has been given to their impacts on mental health. Examining these effects in settings with different climatic, cultural, and health-system contexts, such as Japan and the United Kingdom, can provide useful comparative insights to inform adaptation strategies.
This project aims to examine and compare the short- term impacts of temperature extremes on mental and behavioural health outcomes in Japan and the UK, focusing on conditions such as anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and other potentially temperature-sensitive disorders. The two countries present contrasting but complementary contexts: Japan experiences a humid subtropical climate with intense summer heat and established disaster-preparedness systems, whereas the UK has a temperate climate where heat events are less frequent but increasing in severity. Differences in housing, social norms, and public-health preparedness make these countries suitable for exploring how populations with distinct climatic histories respond to and cope with heat stress.
The PhD will be primarily quantitative and will analyse national and/or regional data on daily temperature and administrative health datasets (e.g. mortality, hospital admissions, and emergency dispatches). Analyses will apply established environmental epidemiology methods (e.g. time-series regression analysis, case-crossover analysis, etc) to characterise short-term associations between temperature and mental health outcomes and will enable comparison of risk patterns between countries and population subgroups.
An optional qualitative component may also be conducted to explore perceived heat stress, coping strategies, and cultural influences on thermal comfort through semi-structured interviews of patients and their carers.
The comparative framework is expected to highlight demographic, behavioural, and institutional factors that influence vulnerability and adaptation to heat-related mental-health risks. The findings will help identify context-specific considerations for strengthening mental-health and climate-adaptation planning in both countries and beyond.
The role of LSHTM and NU in this collaborative project
The student will be based primarily at Nagasaki University, with a minimum of six months spent at LSHTM for training, data analysis, and supervisory guidance.
Nagasaki University will lead the project design and analysis of Japanese datasets, providing supervision in environmental epidemiology, data management, and quantitative methods.
LSHTM will contribute expertise in climate and mental-health research, exposure–response modelling, and access to relevant UK datasets.
Both institutions will jointly support the development of comparative methodologies and ensure alignment in data harmonisation and analytical approaches. The student will benefit from the complementary strengths of both teams, NU’s experience with high-resolution environmental and health data in Asia and LSHTM’s expertise in climate–health impacts and cross-country comparative research.
Particular prior educational requirements for a student undertaking this project
- Applicants should hold a Master’s degree or a strong 2:1 undergraduate degree in public health, epidemiology, or medical statistics, or another relevant discipline with a solid quantitative component.
- Experience with statistical programming (preferably in R) and familiarity with time-series or environmental health data will be advantageous.
- Interest in climate-health or mental-health research and an ability to work collaboratively across cultural and disciplinary boundaries are desirable.
- Understanding of Japanese language and/or culture is recommended, as the project involves mental health research in Japan. While quantitative analyses will be conducted in English, familiarity with Japanese culture and health systems will aid interpretation and any qualitative components.
Skills we expect a student to develop/acquire whilst pursuing this project
The PhD candidate will develop skills in environmental epidemiology, time-series analysis, and advanced statistical modelling using tools such as R. They will gain experience in managing and analysing large population-based health and meteorological datasets, and in applying distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) to evaluate temperature-health associations.
If the qualitative component is undertaken, the student will also acquire experience in designing and conducting interviews/workshops, managing qualitative data, and integrating mixed-method findings. In addition, the project will strengthen cross-cultural research competencies, critical thinking, and academic writing skills relevant to comparative climate-health research.