Susan M. Natali Ph.D.

Senior Scientist
George M. Woodwell Chair in Conservation

Research area

Contact

Phone: 508-444-1560 Email: snatali@woodwellclimate.org ResearchGate CV

I am an Arctic climate scientist whose focus on permafrost thaw is motivated by an acute awareness of the risks it poses. I have worked extensively across the Arctic, in Alaska, Siberia, and elsewhere, combining field research of permafrost and carbon cycling with remote sensing and modeling to assess current and future climate impacts across the Arctic.

I lead the Permafrost Pathways Initiative, which brings together leading experts in climate science, policy action, and environmental justice to assess the local to global impacts of permafrost thaw and other climate changes in the Arctic, in order to inform climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. I work with Indigenous communities, scientists, resource managers, and policymakers at all levels to craft just and effective strategies for limiting harm from Arctic warming.

left: Dr. Natali enjoying time with colleagues while conducting field work in the Alaskan Arctic.

photo © Chris Linder

right: Dr. Natali presenting her work to the Arctic Circle Assembly in 2016.

photo courtesy of Arctic Circle

I am committed to seeing both the human and climate impacts of Arctic change incorporated into public understanding and policy. Most recently, I was on the Scoping Committee for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 7th Assessment Report, and will be a Lead Author on the report. I have published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies, briefed federal lawmakers, contributed to international science reports and presented at several UN climate change conferences. I hold leadership and advisory roles in major multi-institution initiatives including the Permafrost Carbon Network, U.S. Advisory Council for Adaptation Science, and the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning.

I was featured in the documentary film Permafrost Now, was a contributor to the award-winning book The Big Thaw, and I presented my research on the TED stage. As lead of the Polaris Project, I have mentored dozens of students in Arctic research, and I was honored to receive the Sulzman Award for excellence in education and mentoring from the American Geophysical Union.

The rate of change in the Arctic has accelerated more than expected, and people are living with impacts—daily and inescapably. We are working to ensure policy-makers understand the local to global consequences of thawing permafrost.