Dr. Connie Cai Ru Gan is a planetary health lecturer at Griffith University’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, co-leading research on climate and disaster resilient communities at Griffith Institute for Human and Environmental Resilience (GIHER). Her research focuses on practical strategy development to shift the healthcare paradigm from “sick” care to healthcare that matters for sustainability. She is passionate about leveraging networked institutions and a settings-based approach to promote the health of people and the planet.
Her research focuses on future-proofing hospitals by working closely with healthcare facilities and communities across Asia to examine the health and socio-economic impacts of environmental changes, evaluate adaptation activities, and reorient health services during disasters and shocks. She conducts climate vulnerability and adaptation assessments for healthcare facilities, examining both their environmental impacts and resilience capacities to build climate-resilient systems while reducing the sector’s ecological footprint.
As the lead researcher for the CORE-STEP project, funded by the Australian Government through KONEKSI, she co-develops strategies with marginalised communities to integrate climate services into healthcare planning and operations. Through her collaborations with international NGOs advocating for health promotion, mental health, and women’s leadership, she embraces diverse knowledge cultures and solutions to build inclusive and climate-ready healthcare while building adaptation capacity among future health professionals.
Outside of work, she enjoys boxing and training in Karate.