Professor Hess is trained in emergency medicine and environmental health. A professor at the University of Washington (UW), he directs the UW Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE). He previously served as the senior medical advisor to the Climate and Health Program at the US CDC. He is an author of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change was a Lead Author on the fifth US National Climate Assessment, the IPCC’s Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, and the health chapter of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.