John S. Ji is an Associate Professor at Tsinghua University's Vanke School of Public Health. John earned his B.A. in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 2008, his Sc.M. in Epidemiology, and his Sc.D. in Environmental Health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2013. He was a member of the Graduate Consortium at the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and received teaching training at Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Before joining Tsinghua, John was an Assistant Professor at Duke Kunshan University (2017–2021), where he served as Associate Director of the International Master of Environmental Policy (iMEP) graduate program, a joint initiative with Duke University. John joined Tsinghua in 2021 as an associate professor on the tenure track and became a tenured associate professor in 2025.

John’s research focuses on the climate health impacts of air pollution, greenness, and temperature extremes, particularly their effects on aging populations. He utilizes large-scale cohort studies to identify risk factors and explore resilience in population health. His work advances adaptation strategies, including nature-based solutions, focusing on effect modifications.

John’s research has been published in top interdisciplinary journals, such as Nature Medicine and The Lancet Planetary Health, as well as leading epidemiology journals, such as the International Journal of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Perspectives.

He serves as an Associate Editor for The BMJ, is a former Senior Editor for The Lancet, and holds positions on the editorial and advisory boards of The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, and Social Science & Medicine.

John is the co-chair of the WHO Technical Advisory Group for Climate Health Ethics. He has worked with WHO WPRO through a TSA on sustainable age-friendly cities and communities and has served as a Short-Term Consultant (STC) for the World Bank. He provided technical advice for China’s Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP).

John was elected as a councilor for the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Asia Chapter. He has contributed to The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: China Report, focusing on urban green space indicators, and served as a commissioner for The Lancet-Tsinghua Commission on Healthy Cities in China. In 2023, he led The Lancet Series on Climate Change and Health Adaptation in the Western Pacific.

John’s work has consistently ranked among Stanford University's "Top 2% Scientists" for consecutive years.

Education

· Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Neuroscience and East Asian Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 2004-2008  

· Master of Science (ScM) in Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 2008-2010

· Doctor of Science (ScD) in Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 2010-2013  

Primary Academic Appointments

· Associate Professor (Tenured), Tsinghua University, Vanke School of Public Health, 2025-now

· Associate Professor (Tenure Track), Tsinghua University, Vanke School of Public Health, 2021-2024

· Assistant Professor, Duke Kunshan University, 2017-2021

Secondary Academic Appointments

· Affiliated Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Public Health, 2024-now

· Adjunct Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2023

· Secondary Assistant Professor, Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, 2017-2021

Courses

· Planetary Health

· Public Health Research Methods

· Cohort Studies: Applied Epidemiology

Editorial Roles

· Associate Editor, The BMJ

· International Advisory Board Member, The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific

· Editorial Board, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences

· Editorial Board, Social Science & Medicine

· Senior Editor (former), The Lancet

Awards and Honors

· 2024 Excellent Young Scholar, National Natural Science Foundation of China

· Top 2% Scientist Stanford University/Elsevier

Research Area

· Environmental epidemiology

· Health impacts of green spaces, air pollution, and non-optimal temperatures

· Population-based studies

· Built environment

· Climate health resilience and adaptation

Select Publications    (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5002-118X)

· Xi D, Liu L, Zhang M, Huang C, Burkart KG, Ebi K, Zeng Y, Ji JS. Risk factors associated with heatwave mortality in Chinese adults over 65 years. Nat Med. 2024 May;30(5):1489-1498. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-02880-4. Epub 2024 Mar 25. PMID: 38528168.

· Song J, Liu L, Miao H, Xia Y, Li D, Yang J, Kan H, Zeng Y, Ji JS. Urban health advantage and penalty in aging populations: a comparative study across major megacities in China. Lancet Reg Health West Pac.2024 Jun 15;48:101112. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101112. PMID: 38978965; PMCID: PMC11228801.

· Ji JS, Xia Y, Liu L, Zhou W, Chen R, Dong G, Hu Q, Jiang J, Kan H, Li T, Li Y, Liu Q, Liu Y, Long Y, Lv Y, Ma J, Ma Y, Pelin K, Shi X, Tong S, Xie Y, Xu L, Yuan C, Zeng H, Zhao B, Zheng G, Liang W, Chan M, Huang C. China's public health initiatives for climate change adaptation. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2023 Nov 15;40:100965. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100965. PMID: 38116500; PMCID: PMC10730322.

· Qiu S, Chen X, Chen X, Luo G, Guo Y, Bian Z, Li L, Chen Z, Wu X, Ji JS. Solid fuel use, socioeconomic indicators and risk of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality: a prospective cohort study in a rural area of Sichuan, China. Int J Epidemiol. 2022 May 9;51(2):501-513. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyab191. PMID: 34536011.

· Ji JS, Zhu A, Lv Y, Shi X. Interaction between residential greenness and air pollution mortality: analysis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Lancet Planet Health. 2020 Mar;4(3):e107-e115. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30027-9. PMID: 32220672; PMCID: PMC7232951.

· Ji JS, Zhu A, Bai C, Wu CD, Yan L, Tang S, Zeng Y, James P. Residential greenness and mortality in oldest-old women and men in China: a longitudinal cohort study. Lancet Planet Health. 2019 Jan;3(1):e17-e25. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30264-X. PMID: 30654864; PMCID: PMC6358124.

· Ji JS, Power MC, Sparrow D, Spiro A 3rd, Hu H, Louis ED, Weisskopf MG. Lead exposure and tremor among older men: the VA normative aging study. Environ Health Perspect. 2015 May;123(5):445-50. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1408535. Epub 2015 Jan 23. PMID: 25633720; PMCID: PMC4421770.

· Ji JS, Elbaz A, Weisskopf MG. Association between blood lead and walking speed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2002). Environ Health Perspect. 2013 Jun;121(6):711-6. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1205918. Epub 2013 Apr 19. PMID: 23603014; PMCID: PMC3672915.

· Ji JS. Rainfall events and adverse health outcomes. BMJ. 2024 Oct 9;387:q2053. doi: 10.1136/bmj.q2053. PMID: 39384299.

· Ji JS, Xi D, Huang C. Building resilience in heatwaves. Nat Med. 2023 Jul;29(7):1613-1614. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02409-1. PMID: 37464046.