Jo Haigh

Professor Joanna Dorothy Haigh served as Co-Director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and Professor of Atmospheric Physics until her retirement in 2019, following her role as Head of the Department of Physics from 2009 to 2014. Her groundbreaking research focused on solar variability's influence on Earth's climate, atmospheric physics, and climate modeling, transforming our understanding of how solar radiation and greenhouse gases affect global climate systems. Her innovative work includes developing computationally fast yet accurate models for predicting atmospheric behavior, now used by researchers worldwide. Her distinguished career earned her numerous honors, including appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013, election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and receiving the Royal Meteorological Society Adrian Gill Prize in 2010. She served as President of the Royal Meteorological Society, editor of prestigious journals including the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, and contributed as a Lead Author to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Through her research, teaching, and public engagement, she has been a powerful voice in climate science, particularly in understanding the complex interactions between solar radiation, atmospheric processes, and climate change, while maintaining her commitment to scientific excellence and public understanding of climate issues.