Maria Kartika
Maria “Tika” Kartika, MD is a physician and passionate advocate for global health and climate sustainability, currently pursuing her Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School. With a background as a Medical Director at the Planetary Health Clinic in Borneo, Tika has led health initiatives supporting over 150,000 indigenous people, improving operational efficiency and patient care to reduce illegal logging in Indonesia. Tika’s professional experience includes roles with the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and Ariadne Labs, where she conducted critical research and developed health systems strengthening strategies. She is actively involved in the Connecting Climate Minds initiative at Imperial College London, where she leads discussions on the intersection of mental health and climate change in Southeast Asia. Through this initiative, she collaborates with a diverse network of academics, practitioners, activists, and youth in Southeast Asia to drive climate-resilient mental health frameworks. Tika is an experienced speaker and moderator, having presented at both Indonesian and international forums on planetary health and climate resilience where she has advocated for climate-conscious healthcare and sustainable health policy. In her free time, Tika enjoys swimming, scuba diving, exploring nature, and engaging in community-based planetary health initiatives.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.