Valesca Venhof is a non-practicing rehabilitation specialist. She works as a Medical Doctor in the field of Environment and Health at the municipality public health services in Groningen, the Netherlands. Furthermore, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Planetary Health at Maastricht University. Her research focuses on the mental health impacts of environmental changes, guided by her commitment to a holistic approach known as ‘synthesis.’ Emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives, Valesca advocates for integrating Indigenous wisdom and Western scientific knowledge to address multifaceted challenges. Her methodology, inspired by ‘two-eyed seeing,’ explores the nexus of environmental change and mental well-being, with a focus on Dutch youth and Circumpolar Indigenous Peoples, notably the Sámi community. As a staunch advocate for the symbiotic relationship between human well-being and the natural environment, Valesca is deeply entrenched in the principles of planetary health and eco-health. In recent years, she has been actively involved in advocacy efforts and educational initiatives addressing the interplay between climate change and health, planetary health, and eco-health.

Carolyn Stephens has a PhD in environmental epidemiology (Uni of London, 1995). She is a Professor of Environment Ethics at the University of Primorska in Slovenia, a Professor (Hon) in the Bartlett Development Planning Unit of the Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London (UCL), and a Visiting Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She has specialized for over 25 years in international studies of environmental inequities and environmental justice and has studied and published widely on themes of Indigenous health. She is a Fellow (by distinction) of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the UK Royal College of Physicians and an International Fellow of the UK Royal Society of Medicine. She holds the Royal Society Kohn Award for Excellence in Engagement of the Public in Science and the Mayor of London Academic Excellence Award in Public Engagement.

Pim Martens has a PhD in applied mathematics and biological sciences. He is a professor of planetary health and dean of Maastricht University College Venlo. Prof. Dr. Martens has been a professor of Sustainable Development for 18 years and is currently the project leader and principal investigator of several projects related to planetary health, sustainability science and education, and human-animal-nature relationships. Pim Martens is a scientist and founder of AnimalWise, a “think and do tank” integrating scientific knowledge and animal advocacy to bring about sustainable change in our relationship with animals.