This summer, you have the opportunity to get to know some of the brilliant postdoctoral researchers at our university. Our portrait series highlights the diversity within this group of University of Graz research talents - and obviously the fascinating research that they do. Here are four questions for....
Chloe Brimicombe, Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change
1) Tell us a little about yourself, and your journey to become a researcher at Uni Graz.
Hi, I’m Chloe, I’m a tea-loving Climate Scientist who researches heat extremes and I’m from the UK. I came to be in Graz because a colleague of mine sent me the job advert on Twitter and asked me to share it – it was too perfect, so I just applied. I’d never been to Austria at the point of applying and hadn’t heard of Graz. It was my European friends and colleagues and my family who encouraged and supported me to take the role.
2) What are you currently researching, and why do you think it is important (or interesting)?
I’m based in the Social Complexity and System Transformation Research Group (SoCo) at the Wegener Center. I am a postdoc on the HIGH Horizons EU project, which focuses on the impact of heat and climate change on babies, newborns, children, and healthcare workers. It’s a very special project to work on. With our research we show the impact heat has on health conditions, such as preterm birth and small-for-gestational-age across many countries. This work then supports global and national selection of maternal, newborn and child heat health indicators. Other parts of the project are working on Early Warning Systems, adapting healthcare facilities, and mitigating carbon emissions. I’ve had some incredible experiences on this project and learnt so much from everybody involved.
3) What gives you joy in your everyday work life & what are some challenges?
I really love my walk to and from work, it brings me a lot of joy. I have quite a few amazing mentors now including my boss Ilona M. Otto, and I really like our chats. I particularly like the meetings on our project that are on public engagement. And interactions when we are in our office – we are currently debating whether to decorate, especially our 80s floral print sofa. I also do a lot of travelling; this is both a joy and a challenge (especially any time it involves Deutsche Bahn!). Despite a lot of support, I have found it difficult to adjust to being in Austria and learning German, which wasn’t something I anticipated.
4) What's next for you this year/next year?
Outside of the normal project postdoc life: writing papers, writing funding proposals, helping to supervise master’s students, etc. We are going back to Zimbabwe for the project all-consortium meetings in October. I really hope to continue my public and media engagement work, a very important topic. Then, next year we are in the final 18 months of the project, after which point decisions still need to be made. I’ll also be continuing to live my double life between Graz and the UK! Finally, I’m debating going to Finland on holiday next year – I really like the Moomins.
Image credit: Brimicombe (privat)
Interviewer: Johanna Stadlbauer, June/July 2024
P.S. You can read every portrait in this interview series with Uni Graz postdocs right now!