Michelle L. Bell
· Senior Associate Dean of Research and Director of Doctoral Studies; Mary E. Pinchot Professor of Environmental HealthYale University · Environmental Health
Active 1942–2026
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About
Michelle L. Bell is the Mary E. Pinchot Professor of Environmental Health and serves as Senior Associate Dean of Research and Director of Doctoral Studies at Yale School of the Environment. Her areas of expertise include climate science and policy, extreme weather and climate change, environmental justice, environmental ethics, human health and well-being, environmental resources and systems, air pollution, and urban environmental issues. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Science in Environmental Management and Economics from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University, a Master of Science in Philosophy of Epistemology, Ethics, and Mind from the University of Edinburgh, and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering Science with a minor in Music from MIT. She has contributed extensively to research on atmospheric environment, health impacts of air pollution, and climate-related health risks, with numerous publications and a focus on advancing understanding of environmental health issues.
Research topics
- Medicine
- Environmental health
- Geography
- Demography
- Environmental science
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Internal medicine
- Statistics
- Surgery
Selected publications
The Lancet · 2024 · 4249 citations
BACKGROUND: Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-based interventions that enable public health researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to implement strategies that can mitigate diseases. It…
The Lancet · 2024 · 2367 citations
BACKGROUND: Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons…
The Lancet · 2024 · 2353 citations
BACKGROUND: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 81…
The Lancet Planetary Health · 2021 · 893 citations
BACKGROUND: Exposure to cold or hot temperatures is associated with premature deaths. We aimed to evaluate the global, regional, and national mortality burden associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures. METHODS: In this modelling study, we collected time-series data on mortality and ambient temperatures from 750 locations in 43 countries and five meta-predictors at a grid size of 0·5° × 0·5° across the globe. A three-stage analysis strategy was used. First, the temperature-mortality associ…
The Lancet Planetary Health · 2021 · 345 citations
BACKGROUND: and mortality across various regions of the world. METHODS: exposure was calculated. FINDINGS: exposure during the study period. INTERPRETATION: was associated with increased risk of mortality. Urgent action is needed to reduce health risks from the increasing wildfires. FUNDING: Australian Research Council, Australian National Health & Medical Research Council.
Recent grants
NIH · $2.9M · 2014
Environmental Health Disparities in an Older Population
NIH · $3.9M · 2017–2024
NIH · $466k · 2015
Frequent coauthors
- 135 shared
Éric Lavigne
Wilfrid Laurier University
- 128 shared
Shilu Tong
Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention
- 105 shared
Yuming Guo
- 97 shared
Whanhee Lee
- 93 shared
Ji-Young Son
Yale University
- 92 shared
Martina S. Ragettli
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
- 92 shared
Aurelio Tobı́as
- 91 shared
Ho Kim
Seoul National University
Education
- 2020
Masters of Philosophy, Philsophy
University of Edinburgh
- 2002
Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
- 1999
M.Sc. Environmental Management and Economics
Johns Hopkins University
- 1994
M.Sc. Environmental Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Stanford University
- 1992
B.Sc. Environmental Engineering, Minor in Music, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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