About

Rory Stewart is a Professor in the Practice of Grand Strategy at Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs. He was most recently the President of GiveDirectly and has held several significant government positions in the UK, including UK Secretary of State for International Development, a member of the National Security Council, Minister of State for Africa, Middle East, and Asia, Minister of State for Prisons and Probations, Minister for the Environment, and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. Stewart founded and managed the Turquoise Mountain foundation in Afghanistan and served as the Director of the Carr Centre and the Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is also the co-presenter of the UK’s leading podcast, 'The Rest is Politics,' and has authored five books, including three international bestsellers. Additionally, he has presented three BBC television documentaries and contributed articles to journals such as the New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, and the Times Literary Supplement. Stewart has been awarded the Order of the British Empire for his work in Iraq and has received numerous international medals and prizes, as well as holding two honorary doctorates.

Research topics

• Geography
• History
• Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Economic geography
• Economics
• Environmental science
• Environmental health
• Ecology
• Biology
• Psychology
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Effects of ambient temperature on mental and neurological conditions in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

  Environment International · 2024-11-23 · 20 citations

  reviewOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Emerging research has suggested a link between ambient temperature and mental and neurological conditions such as depression and dementia. This systematic review aims to summarize the epidemiological evidence on the effects of ambient temperature on mental and neurological conditions in older adults, who may be more vulnerable to temperature-related health effects compared to younger individuals. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Ovid/Embase, Web of Science, and Ovid/PsycINFO on July 17, 2023, and updated on July 31, 2024. We included epidemiological studies investigating the association between ambient temperature exposures and numerous mental and neurological conditions in populations aged 60 years and older. Exclusions were made for studies on indoor or controlled exposure, suicide, substance abuse, those not published as peer-reviewed journal articles, or those not written in English. The risk of bias of included studies was assessed using a tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Qualitative synthesis was performed on all eligible studies, and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted on groups of at least four studies sharing similar study design, exposure metric, and health outcome. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) framework modified by the WHO. RESULTS: From 16,786 screened articles, 76 studies were deemed eligible, primarily from mainland China and North America. There was notable heterogeneity in study variables and methodologies. The most commonly used exposure metrics were daily absolute temperature and heat waves, and time-series and case-crossover analyses were the most frequently employed study designs. Meta-analysis of four studies on the effect of a 1 °C increase in temperature on hospital admissions/visits for mental disorders showed a pooled risk ratio (RR) of 1.014 (95 % Confidence Interval, CI: 1.001, 1.026). Comparing heat wave days to non-heat wave days, pooled effect estimates showed increased risk in hospital admissions/visits (RR: 1.269; 95 % CI: 1.030, 1.564; six studies) and mortality related to mental disorders (RR: 1.266; 95 % CI: 0.956, 1.678; four studies). Despite the limited number of studies on cold exposures, they consistently reported that lower temperatures were associated with an increased risk of various mental and neurological conditions. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents epidemiological evidence of the adverse impacts of ambient temperature exposures, such as high temperatures and heat waves, on mental and neurological conditions among the older adult population, with overall moderate certainty. The findings highlight the need for greater attention to the mental and neurological health of older adults in the context of climate change and population aging. Registration number (PROSPERO ID): CRD42023428137.

  PublisherDOI

• Temporal Change in the Effects of Particulate Matter on Mortality: A Multi-City Multi-Country Analysis from 143 Cities Across 26 Countries

  ISEE Conference Abstracts · 2024

  • Economic geography
  • Geography
  • Environmental science
  PublisherDOI

• Associations between greenness and kidney disease in Massachusetts: The US Medicare longitudinal cohort study

  Environment International · 2023 · 11 citations

  • Medicine
  • Internal medicine
  • Environmental health

  BACKGROUND: Recent studies have identified the association of environmental stressors with reduced kidney function and the development of kidney disease. While residential greenness has been linked to many health benefits, the association between residential greenness and the development of kidney disease is not clear. We aimed to investigate the association between residential greenness and the development of kidney disease. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal population-based cohort study including all fee-for-service Medicare Part A beneficiaries (aged 65 years or older) in Massachusetts (2000-2016). We assessed greenness with the annual average Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) based on residential ZIP codes of beneficiaries. We applied Cox-equivalent Poisson models to estimate the association between EVI and first hospital admission for total kidney disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and acute kidney injury (AKI), separately. RESULTS: Data for 1,462,949 beneficiaries who resided in a total of 644 ZIP codes were analyzed. The total person-years of follow-up for total kidney disease, CKD, and AKI were 9.8, 10.9, and 10.8 million person-years, respectively. For a 0.1 increase in annual EVI, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93 to 0.97) for the first hospital admission for total kidney disease, and the association was more prominent for AKI (HR: 0.94 with 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.97) than CKD (HR: 0.98 with 95% CI: 0.95-1.01]). The estimated effects of EVI on kidney disease were generally more evident in White beneficiaries and those residing in metropolitan areas compared to the overall population. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that higher levels of annual residential greenness were associated with a lower risk of the first hospital admission for kidney diseases. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that higher residential greenness benefits kidney patients.

  PublisherDOI

• Gertrude Bell, architecte de l’impossible Irak

  Books · 2022-05-31

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• The Last Days of Intervention

  Russia in Global Affairs · 2022 · 1 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • History
  • Economics
  • Psychology
  PublisherDOI

• Introduction

  2021-09-07

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• The Isle of Portland, Portland chert and Neolithic arrowheads: qualities and connections

  Lithics: The Journal of the Lithic Studies Society · 2018-02-17

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Portland chert occurs in a restricted geological setting and is known to have been selected for manufacturing stone tools in prehistory, particularly arrowheads. This paper investigates the physical properties of this type of chert that made it an excellent material for making arrowheads. Replication experiments were undertaken, which revealed the qualities of Portland chert that made it suitable for arrowhead fabrication are enhanced by heat-treatment. These experiments also explored the reason for the associated distinctive chert debitage that has been observed in archaeological assemblages. This research highlights that arrowheads fabricated with heat- treated chert display a characteristic lustrous appearance also observed in archaeological material. In addition, it considers the selection of this material for use in stone tool production. As Portland chert occurs alongside flint, its use implies choice. Considerable effort would have been expended in the collection, transportation, and exchange of materials with particular physical and aesthetic qualities in prehistory. In addition, other factors may have been important, such as raw material location and place within the landscape. The results of this study suggest that Portland chert was selected for both pragmatic reasons and perhaps because the main source of this material was from a remarkable location. Full reference: Stewart R.J. 2017. The Isle of Portland, Portland chert and Neolithic arrowheads: qualities and connections. Lithics: the Journal of the Lithic Studies Society 38: 57–71. Keywords: Portland chert, Neolithic arrowheads, heat treatment, experimental knapping, Isle of Portland

  Publisher

• Donegal going against the flow: Irish differences in long-term urinary catheterisation (LTC) rates in men with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH).

  International Journal of Integrated Care · 2017-10-17

  articleOpen access1st author

  Donegal is a geographically removed county on the northwest coast of Ireland. It is known to have high levels of social deprivation¹.Feedback from both hospital and general practice (GP) colleagues indicate that there appears to be a high proportion of men in Donegal with long-term urinary catheters (LTCs). There is a perceived difficulty accessing Urology services for public (GMS) patients in Donegal.A retrospective analysis of Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) data (2013) was carried out which demonstrated:Total urinary catheter insertions in men over 65 years of age (2013): Donegal 907 ; Kerry 282; Dublin South 33; Dublin West 28; Waterford 1612.This gives a crude 2.55% rate for male GMS patients in Donegal greater than 65 years of age for urinary catheter insertions compared to Dublin South: 0.045% ;Waterford: 0.63 % ; NICE > 75yrs: 0.5%3.For the patients sampled in Donegal, The average duration since 1st urinary catheter insertion was 53 months. 89% of the patients had been referred to Urology. The mean wait for Urology review was 43.75 months. The mean patient age was 80 years. (21%) were based in a nursing home and (79%) were in the community.Differences in LTC rates in the population sampled in Donegal (Rural), Leinster (Urban) and Waterford (Suburban) were significant 1.41% (95% CI 1.0203 – 1.7958) (P < 0.0001) and 1.81% (95% CI 14840 – 2.1549) ( P < 0.0001) respectively.For many reasons Donegal has struggled with service provision particularly in services like Urology. Could this anomaly in LTC rates be a useful parameter to measure the quality and provision of local health services?References:1- Available from: http://census.cso.ie/areaprofiles/areaprofile.aspx?Geog_Type=CTY&Geog_Code=33 2- Available from: http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/PCRS/PCRS_Publications/PCRS_Statistical_Analyis_of_Claims_and_Payments_2013.pdf3- Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg2/documents/infection-control-second-consultation-full-guideline-section-32

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Aleppo Observed: Ottoman Syria through the Eyes of Two Scotissh Doctors, Alexander and Patrick Russell by Maurits H. van den Boogert

  London review of books · 2017-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• CCDC 988301: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2014-01-01

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Sergiy V. Rosokha

  Ball State University

  6 shared

• Charlotte L. Stern

  Northwestern University

  6 shared

• Alan Swartz

  Jacobs (United States)

  6 shared

• Michelle L. Bell

  University of Washington

  4 shared

• Seulkee Heo

  Yale University

  3 shared

• Garam Byun

  Yale University

  2 shared

• MCC Collaborative Research Network

  Environmental Health

  2 shared

• Ji-Young Son

  Yale University

  2 shared

Awards & honors

• Order of the British Empire