September 07, 2022 | News | Welcome to the MPIDR

Risto Conte Keivabu is a new Researcher at the Laboratory of Digital and Computational Demography

© European University Institute (EUI)

Risto Conte Keivabu is a new Researcher in the Laboratory of Digital and Computational Demography and comes from the European University Institute (EUI), San Domenico di Fiesole, Italy. He is researching how climate change affects societies and individuals. Ever since the pandemic began to take hold, he has loved to go for a run.

What question drives you most in your research?

Climate change is posing an important challenge for current societies. However, some individuals are likely to suffer more. In my research, I am motivated to understand how climate change and environmental disasters are currently impacting and will impact future public health and population dynamics. Moreover, I am particularly interested in understanding how the sociodemographic characteristics of individuals shape vulnerability to environmental disasters.

What are you particularly looking forward to as you start working at MPIDR?

The work environment the Institute offers is highly attractive. The multidisciplinary background of my new colleagues gives me the opportunity to discover new perspectives and to see my own work from different angles. Moreover, the administrative support I received has been wonderful and the location of the building and the building itself are great. I am very much looking forward to learning from my colleagues and to collaborate with them on new projects!

What do you like most about Rostock?

The nature. I like the closeness to several water spaces such as the Warnow river and the Baltic sea, and I would be happy to try some water sports here. Moreover, there are several green areas where I can continue practicing my favorite sports, running and cycling. Besides nature, I like that Rostock is a human-sized city with the main locations of interest within easy reach by walk, bike, or public transport.  Also, there are several nice locations that are easy to reach and ideal for a weekend trip, like Rügen or big cities like Berlin or Hamburg.

What are you obsessed with at the moment besides demography?

During the pandemic, I couldn’t take part in any group sports or go to the gym. So, I started running. Since then I got passionate about it. First, I did it just to relax and be outside after a day of sitting in front of the computer. Interestingly, I discovered that running is a great way to discover the city where I live. It is nice to vary my running routine and see the streets I usually do not use in my everyday life. After the lockdown, I enjoyed taking part in some races. I tried both city races and trail runs, and I liked both. City races are great to discover new cities and to test how fast I am. Trail runs are wonderful to see the beautiful landscape, feel in touch with nature, and test my endurance. With both running activities, I enjoyed the adrenaline at the starting line, the opportunity to make new friends, and to share this challenging but fun moment with others.