Fourth Meeting of the DS-I Africa Consortium
16 - 22 November 2024
The Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Mauritius

Dr Nicholas Brink - Participant

Developing data science solutions to mitigate the health impacts of climate change in Africa: the HE2AT Center (Clinical Researcher)

Dr. Nicholas Brink is a clinical researcher based at the Wits Planetary Health Research Division in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has broad interests in emerging public health threats and novel public health solutions. He has contributed to several impactful systematic reviews and clinical trials exploring the harmful effects of heat on pregnant women and children. He is passionate about translating research into actionable insights and is an advocate for the rights of women and children. Brink supports the development sector in leveraging climate financing mechanisms to hasten the climate response, leading efforts to adapt to the effects of heat on vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Having graduated from Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, he went on to complete his internship at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, before continuing his clinical career at Tintswalo Hospital, a large rural hospital in Mpumalanga, South Africa. He continues to support this hospital through a local NGO, the Tshemba Foundation, providing clinical expertise and strategic support. In addition to his clinical research, Brink has contributed to the development of multiple innovative digital tools, leveraging advances in artificial intelligence to tackle the most pressing public health issues.