DR MAXIMILIAN GREGOR HEPACH
Assistant Professor (Research) in Geography
Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow
Durham University
As a historical and cultural geographer of climate change, my research focuses on the physiological and psychological impacts of unprecedented weather. My current project, "Under pressure: A historical and cultural geography of meteorosensitivity" (2024-2029), is supported by the Wellcome Trust. It examines how our understanding of the effects of weather on the human body has evolved over time.
I trace the history of medical meteorology and human biometeorology from the 19th century to the present, exploring the different shapes the “meteorological body” has taken over time. Through extensive archival research and interviews with experts, I connect these historical ideas to current weather- and climate-health practices, highlighting the pressures created by climate change.