Dr. Kimberly Humphrey is a Climate Change and Human Health Fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment and an emergency physician from Australia. Her focus is on further developing her skills in addressing the intersection of climate change and health, with particular attention to the adaptation of medical training and health systems to better address climate change related health issues.
Kimberly’s main research focus is the adaptation of health systems to climate change, particularly in relation to emergency medicine. She is currently researching the impacts of extreme weather events on health care, specifically on emergency department and primary care use, with a focus on the impacts of wildfires in Australia and California. Her recent and ongoing projects have centred on emergency physician and resident understanding and preparedness to address the health effects of climate change, the gendered impacts of climate change, and the practice of ‘high carbon cost, low value’ clinical care in emergency departments and its impacts on both climate change and poorer clinical outcomes for patients.
Kimberly is experienced in working in climate and health policy development and advocacy within state and national government and non-government agencies. She is a board member of Doctors For The Environment Australia, and recently served as Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the South Australian State Committee. For the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia, she leads policy and advocacy work, including development of climate change and health policy, as Deputy Chair of the Council of Advocacy, Practice and Partnerships and as a long-time member of the Public Health and Disaster Committee.
Kimberly received her medical degree from the University of Adelaide and completed her emergency medicine residency at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Her most recent role has been serving under the Chief Public Health Officer of South Australia as the Public Health Medical Consultant for the Department of Health and Wellbeing. In this role she has led the state’s COVID testing strategy and implementation, and holds a key role in driving development of climate change policy for South Australia’s health care systems. She has a Master in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from James Cook University, as well as a postgraduate degree in Clinical Education, an Associate Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, and is a Certified Health Informatician (Australia).
Making basic preparations before climate emergencies can help you protect your health
Our Fellows Drs. Humphrey and Dresser Making share preparations before climate emergencies that can help you protect your health.
Can Medications Make You More Sensitive to Sun and Heat?
Our Climate and Health Fellow Dr. Kimberly Humphrey explains how people taking certain medications can protect themselves from the heat.
