The Doctoral Programme in Planetary Health at the University of Lisbon addresses critical global challenges at the intersection of health, environmental, social, and political sciences. Through a holistic approach, the programme equips students to tackle complex issues that cross ecological and societal boundaries.

Focused on action and transformation, the programme identifies and addresses problems at local, regional, and planetary levels—core to the concept of planetary health. Students are encouraged to develop, test, and refine solutions, applying them in laboratory or simulation environments through collaborative teamwork. This transformative, solution-oriented approach sets the programme apart, with a curriculum designed to integrate diverse knowledge streams in addressing planetary health challenges. Doctoral thesis topics are framed as real-world problems in planetary health, often identified in collaboration with a range of stakeholders (State laboratories, hospitals, museums, companies, NGOs) who may also be involved in employing its graduates.

Objectives

Advancing Solutions for Planetary Health - The programme aims to create leaders capable of generating actionable evidence and crafting sustainable public policies. Graduates will drive transformative change to confront the multifaceted health challenges facing the planet. 

Focus

Holistic, Cross-Disciplinary Perspective - The programme emphasizes a multi-dimensional approach, integrating health sciences with environmental and social disciplines to understand and address planetary health challenges. 

Impact Model

Solutions-Oriented and Collaborative - Focused on problem-solving, the programme supports students in co-creating and testing solutions at local and global scales, fostering innovation through intersectoral collaboration and multi stakeholder engagement. The programme integrates perspectives and methodologies for the global application of concepts, recognising non-linear connections between systems. Skills are developed for operational decisions based on evidence, promoting informed transformative interventions.  

Target Audience

Aspiring Global Health Experts - Ideal for professionals and scholars in health, environmental sciences, and social policy, this programme attracts those driven to contribute solutions to the world's most urgent planetary health issues.