She is the lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability for Europe.

[4] Schmidt completed her undergraduate training at the University of Bremen, where she specialised in geology and palaeontology.

After earning her doctorate in 2002 she moved to Royal Holloway, University of London as a German Research Foundation Fellow.

Damage to the ocean directly and indirectly impacts the environment, and ecosystem shifts can present considerable challenges to surrounding communities.

She was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.