Environment and Public Health are interconnected, and so its important to assess and quantify the impact of climate on health, and investigate the relationships between extreme temperatures and mortality, identify vulnerable populations, and generate evidence that could inform climate adaptation and public health policies.

Vijendra Ingole, our next pathbreaker, Principal Data Scientist (Climate and Health) at the Office for National Statistics (UK), helps develop international standards to measure how climate change affects human health. This work helps governments and organizations better understand the health impacts of climate change and make informed decisions.

Vijendra talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about his work which is at the intersection of epidemiology, data science, statistics, environmental health, and the subsequent policy translation in the real world.

For students, focus on learning skills, not just getting high marks. Good communication, problem-solving, and technical skills are very important.

Vijendra, Your background? 

I grew up in a semi-rural area in Washim, Maharashtra, India, in a poor Dalit family. In my family, getting a good education was not easy. My biggest inspiration is my mother. She never had the chance to go to school, but she always believed that education could change our lives. Her hard work and sacrifices motivated me to continue my studies.

I studied in a government school and learned in a semi-English medium from Grade 5 to Grade 10. From a young age, I wanted to become a doctor. I was not one of the top students in my class, and I barely passed my Grade 10 exams. However, I worked hard and improved my performance. After Grade 12, I qualified for the pre-medical entrance examination, which increased my interest in the medical field.

Unfortunately, my family could not afford the cost of medical education. Although I could not become a doctor, this experience did not stop me from wanting to improve people’s health and help disadvantaged communities. Instead, it encouraged me to continue my education and look for other ways to make a positive difference.

What did you do for graduation/post- graduation? 

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries Science in Amravati. At first, I wanted to learn fish farming and start my own fish farm. However, during my studies, I became very interested in science and the environment. This inspired me to continue my education and study Environmental Science. I completed my Master’s degree in Environmental Science in Pune, where I learned more about protecting the environment and solving environmental problems.

What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career in Public Health?

One of the biggest influences on my career was my chemistry teacher during my Bachelor’s degree. Because my family could not afford extra classes, he gave me free tuition and always believed in my potential. In my first year, I struggled to pass chemistry, but with his guidance and encouragement, I worked hard and earned a distinction in the subject in my final year.

His support changed the way I saw myself. He showed me that my background and financial difficulties did not have to limit my future. Growing up in poverty, I never imagined studying or building a career outside my hometown of Washim. My improved academic performance gave me the confidence to dream bigger, continue my education, and pursue opportunities beyond my hometown.

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? 

After completing my Master’s degree in Environmental Science, I realized that I needed more technical skills to build my career. So, I completed another Master’s degree in GIS and Remote Sensing at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

During the last six months of the course, I worked as an intern with an NGO in Pune. My work was appreciated by both the NGO and the university. After graduation, I joined Savitribai Phule Pune University as a Teaching Associate, where I taught Master’s students for one year and eight months.

Later, I returned to the same NGO as a Research Fellow. There, I worked on projects related to climate change and health. This experience helped me develop my research skills and eventually led to the opportunity to pursue a PhD in Sweden.

Before starting my PhD, I worked at the KEM Hospital Research Centre’s Vadu Rural Health Program as a GIS Research Fellow. This role built directly on my Master’s research project and provided an excellent opportunity to apply geospatial technologies to real-world public health challenges.

My primary responsibility was to map health facilities and community resources across 22 villages in Pune district using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I collected and analysed spatial data to understand how access to healthcare varied across rural communities and how geographical factors influenced health service delivery. This experience helped me develop strong analytical, technical, and research skills while working closely with public health professionals and researchers.

During my time at KEM, I became increasingly interested in the relationship between environmental factors, geography, and population health. The Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) was part of the INDEPTH Network, a global network of health and demographic surveillance sites that collaborates with leading universities and research institutions around the world. Through this network, I had opportunities to engage with international researchers and participate in scientific workshops and conferences.

Tell us about your PhD in Sweden? How did it influence your current career?

One particularly influential experience was attending a climate and health workshop where I presented my research and was awarded the Best Young Scientist Award at INDEPTH annual conference at Maputo Mozambique. This exposure introduced me to the growing field of climate and health research and allowed me to interact with researchers from Sweden and other countries. These interactions inspired me to pursue further research in this area and ultimately led me to apply for PhD opportunities in Sweden.

My PhD position was fully funded through support from the Swedish Government and the INDEPTH Network, covering tuition fees and providing a salary throughout my doctoral studies. Sweden’s strong reputation in public health, environmental epidemiology, and interdisciplinary research made it an ideal place to develop my expertise.

The aim of my PhD was to assess and quantify the impact of climate on health, specifically examining how temperature affects mortality in rural India. To assess short-term health and environmental data, I investigated the relationships between extreme temperatures and mortality, identified vulnerable populations, and generated evidence that could inform climate adaptation and public health policies.

During my PhD I had the opportunity to work as a Visiting Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), supported by Umeå University in Sweden. This was an important part of my doctoral training and provided exposure to one of the world’s leading institutions in public and global health.During my time at LSHTM, I worked closely with researchers in environmental epidemiology and climate-health research. One of my main objectives was to complete a research paper related to my PhD work, which focused on quantifying the impact of temperature on mortality in rural India. The visit provided access to leading experts in the field, allowing me to strengthen the methodological and analytical aspects of my research.

In addition to my research activities, I attended several advanced courses and seminars on climate epidemiology, statistical modelling, and environmental health. These courses helped me develop expertise in analysing the health impacts of climate variability and extreme weather events. I also benefited greatly from discussions with senior scientists and fellow researchers working on similar topics across different regions of the world.

The experience broadened my perspective on climate and health research and exposed me to cutting-edge methods being used internationally. Working in such a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment enhanced both my technical skills and my understanding of how research can inform public health policy and climate adaptation.

Overall, my time at LSHTM was a valuable complement to my PhD training. It strengthened my research network, improved the quality of my scientific work, and further motivated me to pursue a career at the intersection of climate change, environmental epidemiology, and public health.

My postdoctoral positions were a natural extension of my PhD research, but with a broader geographical scope and wider environmental exposures.

After completing my PhD, I joined the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. My work focused on assessing the impacts of heat and cold temperatures on mortality across Spain and other countries, using large population and environmental datasets. I also expanded my research to investigate the health impacts of air pollution, particularly in countries such as India, Mozambique, and Spain. This involved applying advanced epidemiological and statistical methods to understand how environmental exposures affect population health and to identify vulnerable groups who may be disproportionately affected by climate and environmental risks.

The work built directly on the expertise I had developed during my PhD, where I examined the relationship between temperature and mortality in rural India. At ISGlobal, I was able to extend these methods to different climatic, demographic, and socioeconomic contexts, which provided valuable insights into how environmental health risks vary across regions and populations.

Following this, I joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist. My research continued to focus on climate and health, particularly the impacts of temperature extremes on mortality and other health outcomes. While the methodological approach was similar to my previous work, there was a stronger emphasis on understanding environmental health risks in India and other low- and middle-income settings, as well as developing evidence that could inform adaptation strategies and public health policies in a changing climate.

Overall, both postdoctoral positions allowed me to deepen and broaden my expertise in climate change, environmental epidemiology, air pollution, and population health. They helped me transition from studying a single population during my PhD to leading and contributing to large international studies across multiple countries, further strengthening my commitment to generating evidence that can support climate adaptation and public health decision-making.

How did you get your first break?

Later, joining Vital Strategies was a deliberate decision to move from academic research into applied public health and work on real-world policy challenges.

After completing my postdoctoral research, I wanted to see how scientific evidence could be translated into action and used to improve people’s health. While I enjoyed academic research, I felt that I could have a more direct impact by working with governments and policymakers on public health challenges.

Vital Strategies is a global public health organisation that works with governments and partners to address major health issues, including air pollution, non-communicable diseases, road safety, and tobacco control. It is a non-profit organisation that focuses on generating evidence and supporting policy implementation to improve population health.

I applied for the position of Technical Advisor (Environmental Epidemiologist) and was fortunate to receive an interview invitation. In fact, it was one of my first successful interviews outside academia. The role was an excellent fit because it allowed me to combine my expertise in environmental epidemiology, climate, and health with practical policy applications.

My work focused primarily on air pollution and health in India. I worked closely with government agencies, researchers, and other stakeholders to generate evidence on the health impacts of air pollution and support the development of policies aimed at reducing exposure and protecting public health. This involved analysing health and environmental data, interpreting scientific evidence, and communicating findings to decision-makers in a way that could inform policy and action.

In many ways, this role was a continuation of my previous research, but with a stronger emphasis on implementation and impact. Instead of focusing only on publishing scientific papers, I was helping translate research into recommendations that could influence public health programmes and environmental policies.

Regarding opportunities outside academia, public health industry roles may be fewer than in some other sectors, but there is growing demand for people with skills in epidemiology, data science, statistics, environmental health, and policy translation. My transition was possible because the analytical and research skills I developed during my PhD and postdoctoral work were highly transferable to solving real-world public health problems.

What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you address them?

The journey was not easy. I had to improve my English, learn new technical skills, and teach myself R programming. I also reached out to many researchers and experts for guidance. Although only a few responded, their advice and support helped me continue moving toward my goals.

Where do you work now?

I work as Principal Data Scientist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom.

What problems do you solve?

I help develop international standards to measure how climate change affects human health. This work helps governments and organizations better understand the health impacts of climate change and make informed decisions.

Data science helps us turn large amounts of climate and health data into actionable evidence for decision-makers.

Let me give you a simple example. Suppose a region experiences a heatwave with temperatures above 40°C for several consecutive days. On its own, that temperature data tells us that it was unusually hot, but it does not tell us how people’s health was affected.

Using data science, we can combine different datasets, such as weather records, hospital admissions, mortality records, air pollution measurements, and population information. We then use statistical and epidemiological methods to analyse whether deaths or hospitalisations increase during periods of extreme heat.

What skills are needed for your job?

The main skills I use are:

  • Climate science
  • Public health
  • Epidemiology
  • Statistical methods
  • Data science

I developed these skills during my PhD and postdoctoral research, as well as through working on research projects with experts from different countries.

What is a typical day like?

Every day is different. I work with teams from different organizations and countries. My day usually includes meetings, giving presentations, guiding my team, and working together to solve technical problems and move projects forward.

What do you love about this job?

I enjoy knowing that my work can make a real difference. By improving how we measure the health impacts of climate change, I hope to help governments make better decisions that protect people’s health and save lives during climate-related events such as extreme heat.

How does your work benefit society?

My work helps governments better understand how climate change affects people’s health. By creating better ways to measure these impacts, we can provide reliable information for government decision-making. This can help develop policies that protect people from climate-related health risks, such as extreme heat and other climate hazards.

Tell us about a memorable piece of work that is very close to you.

One of my proudest achievements was being part of a team that developed a new statistical method. This work was endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission. In simple terms, this means the United Nations approved our method as an international standard, allowing countries around the world to use it to better measure the health impacts of climate change.

What is your advice to students based on your experience?

My biggest advice is to focus on learning skills, not just getting high marks. Good communication, problem-solving, and technical skills are very important. Start building your network early by talking to teachers, mentors, and other professionals. Most importantly, never give up. You will face many challenges and setbacks, but if you keep learning and working hard, you can achieve your goals.

What are your future plans?

In the future, I would like to work more closely with governments and international organizations to help develop policies that protect people’s health from the impacts of climate change. I want my research to support better decisions and create a positive impact on society.