Kim Doell starts as a new junior group leader at the CASCB
Kim Doell, who is investigating the impacts of climate change, joined the Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour in June 2024 as junior group leader.
Why did you decide to take up the position of Junior Group Leader at the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behaviour?
I decided to take up the position of Junior Group Leader at the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behaviour because my research values and priorities are closely aligned with the cluster’s commitment to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. I am passionate about integrating insights from environmental, social, and health psychology with neuroscience and behavioural sciences to develop a comprehensive understanding of collective behaviour. My goal is to leverage this knowledge to create actionable solutions that promote climate change mitigation and adaptation at neural, individual, and collective levels. This cluster provides an ideal environment to collaborate across diverse fields and drive impactful research that can bring about meaningful change in society.
What do you plan to investigate with your research group?
With my group, I plan to establish a dedicated hub within the cluster for systematically investigating the impacts of climate change, particularly extreme heat, on cognition, well-being, and collective behaviour. Our research will involve collecting data not only in Konstanz and throughout Germany but also across key regions globally, recognizing that climate change is a global challenge requiring a concerted international effort. By leveraging my extensive global research network, we will aim to develop a comprehensive understanding of these impacts and translate our findings into practical interventions. These will include strategies to promote adaptive behaviours, such as heat avoidance, and policy briefs to inform governments and stakeholders about the critical implications that the changing climate has on humanity.