Jennifer Ekelund

Jenny is Interim Head of Climate, Health and Sustainability at the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), where she leads implementation of the NIHR's Commitments to Climate, Health and Sustainability 2024-26.

Jenny has worked in planetary health for two decades, managing environmental sustainability programmes and partnerships across the higher education, environmental research and international development sectors. She has a particular interest in effective cross-sector working, and in recent years has supported leaders in the UN system, NGOs and funders such as the J&J Foundation to increase the effectiveness of sustainable development and global health collaborations.

Jenny is a former Head of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oxford, where she led the adoption of the organisation’s first Carbon Management Strategy and governance structure. She began her career in the private sector as a Corporate Responsibility Advisor and went on to manage capacity building programmes and biodiversity partnerships at Earthwatch, the international research and education institute.

Jenny is a board member of Soha, a UK social housing community mutual, and Clinical Teaching Associate (CTA) for Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, teaching fifth year medical students communications skills.