People
Key sustainability and climate change roles at the Institute.
IoN Climate Crisis Committee
The first ION Climate Crisis took place on 30th May 2024, with reps from across ION departments and Professional Services. This was built on in subsequent meetings in June and July, where we discussed new initiatives to promote sustainability and contribute to the fight against climate change across the Institute. Everyone is welcome to join and contribute. Please see ION intranet or contact Professor Sanjay Sisodiya, s.sisodiya@ucl.ac.uk, for further information.
LEAF and Green Impact
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact IoN’s Green Office Champion: sarah.lawson@ucl.ac.uk or IoN’s Green Labs Champion: Steffy Czieso s.czieso@ucl.ac.uk
The world's climate is changing now. Global heating and its consequences will greatly affect our lives and work in the years ahead. For people with neurological diseases, and for research into those diseases, climate change is likely to pose significant challenges, which is in our remit and power to address. I very much look forward to working with all across the Institute to do what we can to meet these challenges, to reduce our contributions to climate change, and to promote sustainability.
In my role as Climate and Sustainability Project Manager I will be supporting the Deputy Director for Sustainability and Climate Change and the Climate Crisis Committee to drive forward strategy and action to tackle climate change and improve the environmental sustainability of the IoN's research and other activities. I will work alongside IoN's Green Office Champion, Sarah Lawson, and IoN's Green Labs Champion, Steffy Czieso.
As well as experience in environmental sustainability, I have a background in research on adaptation to climate change. I am interested in what we can do to better understand and reduce the effects of climate change on staff, infrastructure and research activities of the IoN and on people living with neurological conditions. These effects include extreme heat, increased humidity, growing risks of flooding, which are already being felt but will become more severe in the coming years and decades.
Please do get in touch to discuss your sustainability ideas, initiatives and concerns : m.goulden@ucl.ac.uk
Student Sustainability Ambassadors for 2025-2026
Angie Wyatt, MSc Climate Change Policy and Politics
“Hi! I’m Angie, and I’m studying an MSc in Climate Change Policy and Politics. I’m super excited to be working with the Institute of Neurology this year as a student sustainability ambassador.
The IoN is in such a strong position to set some really ambitious sustainability standards for UCL, and I’m excited to help set the bar even higher—there is no such thing as ‘good enough’ when it comes to sustainability action!
This year, I’ll be working on a project on how the IoN can further commit to digital sustainability, partly building upon some of the amazing work that was done a couple of years ago around clearing cloud clutter and spreading awareness about the environmental impacts of tech. This year, I think it’ll be really important to consider how AI comes into this discussion (which I’m particularly excited about since it’s my dissertation topic!).
I’m always happy to hear from anybody, particularly the student community, about any sustainability ideas you might have. My inbox is always open!”
Jen Ying, BSc Environmental Geoscience
“Hello! I’m Jen Ying, a 2nd year Environmental Geoscience student, and I’m happy to be one of your Sustainability Ambassadors this year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help the ION be more sustainable and excited to see how I can contribute to the faculty’s sustainability goals. UCL was recently ranked as the 1st in the UK in the 2026 QS Sustainability Rankings. As an institution, UCL has a responsibility to drive change and innovation that addresses the worrying patterns of climate change and environmental issues affecting our planet. As part of the Sustainability Ambassador cohort this year, I’m delighted to be able to take part in UCL’s plans to become more sustainable.”
Previous ION Student Sustainability Ambassadors
2024-25
Q&A with the Queen Square Institute of Neurology’s Student Sustainability Ambassador
The Faculty caught up with Cameron Gordon, Student Sustainability Ambassador 2024/25 for the Queen Square Institute of Neurology to learn more about the projects he’s been involved in and how he felt about coming highly commended in the recent UCL Sustainability Awards 2025.
2023-24
“My name is Shashwat Guha, studying MSc Clinical Neuroscience at UCL, and I am delighted to introduce myself as your new Green Impact Sustainability Ambassador. As a student, I believe that inspiring others in our community to take small steps can lead to a big impact. Considering the current waste, climate and hunger crisis, it is important to raise awareness about “sustainable living” and work towards a greener future.
During my role, I plan to – 1) actively engage with students and staff at ION; 2) organise workshops, presentations and other activities – to share knowledge about the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), energy conservation, waste reduction and other sustainable practices that can be implemented into our daily lives.
My current project involves creating a map of amenities/facilities present around Queen Square, such as water fountains, microwaves, kettles and recycling bins, so that we students can have an easier time locating these resources (to heat up food or fill up reusable water bottles). This would also encourage everyone to bring their own packed lunches, instead of buying packaged food and bottled water, ultimately reducing waste and saving money!
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or would like to collaborate on a sustainability project, please feel free to reach out to me. I am always open to new opportunities and partnerships that align with UCL’s sustainability goals.”
2022-23
Hi! I’m Hannah, a 3rd Year Medical Student intercalating in Global Health and I am passionate about the steps we as individuals can take to create a better future primarily through taking decisive action to respond to, adapt and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Making our institutions of education increasingly environmentally friendly is our responsibility as students of the present and adults of the everchanging future! I hope that together we can make the IoN and UCL a greener and more sustainable place!
This year, the focus is on the impact of our digital lives. Although it is small, it is something we can easily tackle through some simple steps!
Get rid of your clutter stored on The Cloud, delete spam emails and unwanted email subscriptions and make more mindful tech purchases.