From October 2011 until June 2016, Roberto Bertollini, M.D., M.P.H. has been WHO Representative to the EU in Brussels and Chief Scientist of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Before this assignment, he has occupied senior management positions in WHO both at the Regional Office for Europe and at the Headquarters in Geneva since 1991 when he joined the Organization. In these different capacities he was particularly involved in the environment and health area and developed the WHO climate change and health programme both in Europe and at the global level. In late 2016 he has been Richard von Weizsächer Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Germany. Presently he is advisor for public health of the Minister of Health of Qatar and has been heavily involved in the Qatar response to the Covid-19 epidemic by chairing the country’s Scientific Reference and Research Task Force to provide scientific evidence for the public health response to the pandemic.  In addition, he is visiting professor for public health and environmental health at the Lisbon University as well as Member of the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks of the European Commission.

His main professional interests concern the determinants on non-communicable diseases, with special reference to the effects of emerging environmental threats such as climate change and air pollution, health effects of lifestyle and socioeconomic determinants including tobacco, alcohol and nutrition. He is also very involved in the translation of research findings for public health policy development and in the implementation and evaluation of public health programmes and practices.