New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities

Director of NZ Centre for Sustainable Cities and He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme.

Philippa Howden-Chapman is a social scientist and Deputy Head of the Department of Public Health. She teaches in the area of health and public policy. Her current research interests are reducing inequalities in health and urban systems, housing, energy, climate change and health.

Professor Howden-Chapman is internationally recognised for her research showing for the first time links between New Zealand's cold and thermally inadequate housing, health outcomes and energy use. She has authored 150 publications on this and other public health issues.

In 2007 her 'Housing, Insulation and Health' study featured on the cover of the British Medical Journal along with three editorial comments. The study involved fitting insulation to 1350 households in low income communities and measuring the health and energy efficiency outcomes.

In 2007, driven by a desire to produce useful research to clarify the links between health, housing and urban sustainability, Philippa brought together a team of researchers from across the country and around the world to establish the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities.

In 2008 Philippa received three national awards, honouring her ground-breaking research into housing and health. The Dame Joan Metge Medal, the Liley Medal and the Queen’s Service Order, Companion of the Queen’s Service Order.