BRAIN HEALTH IN A CHANGING PLANET
Banyan Commons is a global action tank tackling the brain health impacts of climate change and related environmental factors. We bring together experts across science, medicine, public health, policy, and community leadership to create solutions at the crossroads of neuroscience, environmental justice, planetary health, and climate resilience.
200+
MEMBERS
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45+
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
20+
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
THE STORY OF OUR NAME
Banyan Commons is the next chapter in the evolution of the International Neuro Climate Working Group, founded in April 2024. Inspired by the resilience and interconnectedness of the banyan tree, most powerfully seen during the Maui wildfires, we embrace its symbolism as a reflection of our mission.
Like the banyan’s expansive canopy and supportive aerial roots, we nurture a transdisciplinary, global network where science, medicine, public health, policy, and community leadership come together to protect brain health on a changing planet. Its neural-like roots evoke the intimate connections between environmental flux and our inner worlds. As a shared hub, Banyan Commons brings together knowledge, action, and advocacy to build lasting brain resilience in the face of climate change.
OUR VISION
We envision a brain-healthy world in which scientific insights into the neurological and mental health impacts of climate change empower individuals and communities to act collectively and at all levels.
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We work to shape local, national, and global policy through robust evidence, helping build resilient societies equipped to face the health challenges of a changing planet. By placing brain health at the core of climate resilience strategies, we strive for equitable and sustainable outcomes for all.
OUR GOALS
Expand Global Representation
Broaden our membership to include diverse perspectives from across regions and disciplines.
Publish an Annual State-of-the-Science Report
Provide the most current synthesis of scientific evidence and emerging insights on climate change and brain health.
Support Groundbreaking Research
Foster inclusive, interdisciplinary studies that explore the multifaceted impacts of climate change on brain health.
Influence Global Agendas
Advocate for brain health to be integrated into the strategies of leading climate and health organizations.
Amplify Vulnerable Voices
Elevate stories, insights, and leadership from communities most affected by climate change.
Develop Resilience Strategies
Co-create scalable, adaptable interventions that strengthen community and individual resilience.
Enhance Advocacy Efforts
Engage directly with decision-makers to ensure that brain health is prioritized in climate and public health policies.
Formulate Policy Briefs
Translate scientific findings into practical, actionable recommendations for policymakers.
OUR WHY
Climate change is more than an environmental crisis: It is the largest global health threat of the present era.
Growing evidence synthesized by our network shows that exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, and other climate-related stressors can significantly impair neurological, cognitive, and emotional functions and exacerbate various mental and neurological disorders. Yet, research in this area remains fragmented and underdeveloped, particularly in the lower- and middle-income countries that are most vulnerable to climate impacts. Today, there is a critical need to better understand the scope of these effects, identify research deficits, and provide clear, actionable guidance for scientists, medical professionals, and policymakers.
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We believe that increasing our scientific understanding is necessary but not enough. Real change requires deep collaboration with communities, particularly those most at risk. Together, we aim to design and implement locally-grounded and community-based adaptation and prevention strategies that promote resilience and protect brain health
where it’s needed most.
OUR PEOPLE
Banyan Commons began as the International Neuro Climate Working Group, a global collaborative of neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists, epidemiologists, environmental scientists, public policy experts, architects, city planners, and community advocates. Through targeted research, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based advocacy, and community engagement, we strive to illuminate and tackle the brain health challenges posed by our changing climate.
OUR NETWORK
MEET THE TEAM
Burcin Ikiz, PhD​
Co-founder & President​
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Dr. Burcin Ikiz is an award-winning neuroscientist with over 20 years of experience in brain disorders and mental health. Her work focuses on how climate change and environmental factors affect brain health, and how scientific insights can be translated into tangible global health solutions. She is the founder of EcoNeuro (2023) and the International Neuro Climate Working Group (2024), which she leads as part of a global network of over 250 experts working across research, policy, and advocacy.
Dr. Ikiz advises the World Health Organization and the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the advisory boards of the Climate Mental Health Network, Climate Cares Centre, and the Climate Clinic. A recognized leader in the field, she frequently speaks at global platforms including TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, WHO conferences, and COP.
​Her insights have been featured in The Guardian, Bloomberg, and national radio in Canada and Australia. She contributes regularly to Psychology Today, Undark Magazine, and Think Global Health, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Ikiz holds a B.Sc. in Biomedical Computation from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University.
Angie Michaiel, PhD​
Co-founder & Director of Science​​
Angie Michaiel, PhD, is a neuroscientist passionate about the connections between the brain and environment. Dr. Michaiel is currently an associate program officer in neuroscience at The Kavli Foundation, where she developed the Foundation’s Initiative in Neurobiology in Changing Ecosystems, a research initiative aimed at understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying nervous system resilience to environmental change. Through collaboration, partnership, and development of this growing subfield in neuroscience research, Dr. Michaiel’s work has led to roughly $25M in investments from public and private philanthropic entities for basic research into how the brain responds, resists, and recovers from the challenges of a changing environment.
Dr. Michaiel holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Oregon and carried out postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School. She seeks to use her knowledge of neuroscience to create programs that bring fundamental neuroscience research closer to societal impact.
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Clayton Aldern​
Co-founder & Director of Policy
and Communications
Clayton Aldern is a writer and data scientist based in the Pacific Northwest, exploring the intersection of science, climate, and society. He is the author of The Weight of Nature, a nonfiction book examining how climate change and environmental degradation shape brain chemistry, behaviour, and mental health. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic, Scientific American, and more.
He holds master's degrees in neuroscience and public policy from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. A Reynolds Journalism Institute and Salzburg Global Fellow, he has also been recognised as a Seattle CityArtist and Climate Reality Leader. His reporting teams have received honours including a national Edward R. Murrow Award, multiple Online Journalism and Sigma Awards, and the Breaking Barriers Award.
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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Matt McFarlane, PhD, JD
President, Grass Foundation; Counsel, Leichtman Law PLLC
Leyla Erk McCurdy, MPhil
Director, Climate for Health, ecoAmerica; Senior Director, Health & Environment, National Environmental Education Foundation; Founder & Chair, Children’s Environmental Health Committee
Burcin Ikiz, PhD
Founder & President, Banyan Commons; Chair, International Neuro Climate Working Group
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
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Agustin Ibanez, PhD
Professor and Director of the Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile & Director of the International Program in Global Brain Health Research at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and Team Leader of the Predictive Brain Health Modelling Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Bishakha Mona, PhD
Associate Advisor, Science Philanthropy Alliance, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Cecilia Sorensen, MD
Director of Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education & Faculty & Emergency Physician, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Emma Lawrance, PhD
Director, Climate Cares Centre, Assistant Professor, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Harris Eyre, MD, PhD
Harry Z. Yan & Weiman Gao Senior Fellow and Lead of Neuro-Policy, Rice University & Executive Director, Brain Capital Alliance, Houston, Texas, USA.
Inez Jabalpurwala
President and Chief Executive Officer, Public Policy Forum, Toronto, Canada.
Khara Ramos, PhD
Vice President, Dana Foundation, New York, New York, USA.
Bhavini Makwana, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Calgary | Co-founder & Director, Brain Climate Equity Collective, Calgary, Canada