John S. Ji is an Associate Professor at Tsinghua University's Vanke School of Public Health. John received 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. John joined Tsinghua University Vanke School of Public Health in 2021 as a tenure-track associate professor and was promoted to tenured associate professor in 2025. During his sabbatical (2025), John worked as a Senior Technical Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health (ACE).

John's research uses large-scale cohort studies to identify environmental risk factors, climate health adaptation, and resilience. John’s research has been published in interdisciplinary journals, including Nature Medicine and The Lancet Planetary Health, as well as epidemiology journals, such as the International Journal of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Perspectives. He organized The Lancet Series on Climate change and health adaptation in the Western Pacific region. John is ranked in the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List for consecutive years.

At Tsinghua University, John teaches Planetary Health to undergraduate students and Public Health Research Methods and Cohort Studies to graduate students.

John served as an Associate Editor handling The BMJ Collection on Enhancing cohort studies in China and internationally. He was a former Senior Editor for The Lancet and is on the editorial or advisory boards of The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, Social Science & Medicine, and the Journals of Gerontology Series A. John is the co-chair of the WHO Technical Advisory Group for Climate Health Ethics, and the Asia Chapter Councilor for the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE).

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 of Environmental Health Science, 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

Teaching

· Planetary Health (undergraduate)

· Public Health Research Methods (graduate, MPH-level)

· Cohort Studies: Applied Epidemiology (graduate, PhD-level)

Editorial Roles

· Associate Editor, The BMJ

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

· Editorial Board, Social Science & Medicine

· Editorial Board, Journals of Gerontology Series A

· Editorial Board, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences

· Editorial Board, China CDC Weekly

· 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

· Population health science

Select Research Papers

1. Xi D, Liu L, Song J, Zhang M, Zeng Y, Ji JS. Ageing-related functional and cognitive impairments and cold mortality risk: a longitudinal cohort study in China. Lancet Planet Health. 2025 Sep;9(9):e101301. doi: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.101301. Epub 2025 Sep 22. PMID: 40997834.

2. Ji JS, Tao Z, Miao H, Cole-Hunter T, Li X, Rojas-Rueda D, Cai W. Greenness and averted mortality in 390 cities in China (2000–2020). Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2025 Jan 16;54:101283. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101283. PMID: 39896897; PMCID: PMC11786093.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Zhu A, Chen H, Shen J, Wang X, Li Z, Zhao A, Shi X, Yan L, Zeng Y, Yuan C, Ji JS. Interaction between plant-based dietary pattern and air pollution on cognitive function: a prospective cohort analysis of Chinese older adults. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2022 Jan 5;20:100372. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100372. PMID: 35028630; PMCID: PMC8741490.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

Select Reviews and Editorials

1. Ji JS, Dominici F, Gouveia N, Kelly FJ, Neira M. Air pollution interventions for health. Nat Med. 2025 Sep;31(9):2888-2900. doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03929-8. Epub 2025 Aug 21. PMID: 40841489.

2. 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.

3. Ji, J.S. Urban nature and mental health. Nat Cities 2, 683–684 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00297-9

4. Ji JS. Health is the landing zone for climate change adaptation. Nat Hum Behav. 2025 May;9(5):829-830. doi: 10.1038/s41562-025-02179-5. PMID: 40195557.

5. Ji JS. China's health national adaptation plan for climate change: action framework 2024–2030. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2024 Oct 22;52:101227. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101227. PMID: 39498402; PMCID: PMC11532759.

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

7. 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.

8. Ji JS. Air pollution and cardiovascular disease onset: hours, days, or years? Lancet Public Health. 2022 Nov;7(11):e890-e891. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00257-2. PMID: 36334605.