Stella Dafka is a climate scientist with a background in physics and meteorology. In May 2022, she joined the Hei-Planet, aiming to understand the complex interplay between climate change and human health. Specifically, her scientific work focuses on understanding the intricate relationship between large-scale atmospheric processes, climate extremes, and human health which is crucial for developing effective adaptation strategies and mitigating the impacts of climate change. This involves quantifying the influence of atmospheric circulation patterns on the frequency and intensity of climate extremes and the subsequent impact on human health.

Stella served as a contributing author to both the first Mediterranean Assessment Report of the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) and the Climate Vulnerability Monitor Third Edition: A Planet on Fire, commissioned by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty Group (V20). She is also the health sector coordinator for the large international impact modelling intercomparison project (ISIMIP), which is coordinated by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact, and is involved in the Lancet Countdown Europe projections report.