About us

Climate change and air pollution are major threats to public health. Unless decisive action is taken to reduce the impact, both issues will increase over time, as will the associated health problems.

Rising seawaters and extreme weather events could increase flooding, leading to an increase in water-borne disease outbreaks, and lead to unsanitary living conditions. Droughts and heatwaves could increase heat-related deaths, and affect crops and access to food. Air pollution is associated with increased risk of respiratory conditions and numerous other health problems.

Our team has significant experience in researching the impact of climate and air quality on health. We’ve provided evidence on the global daily estimates of fine-particulate air pollution, and its links with rates of miscarriage and autism; drilled down into air pollution data to explore the health impacts of bushfire-related pollution in Australia, and around the world; estimated global mortality burden associated with temperature fluctuations; and developed forecasts for heat-related deaths worldwide based on current climate trends. We also explore potential mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change and air pollution. For example, we assess the health benefits of residential green space.

Our work is regularly featured in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals, such as The Lancet.

We apply environmental epidemiology, biostatistics, remote sensing modelling and infectious disease modelling to air quality and climate change. We regularly collaborate with international and domestic research groups from over 50 countries, to provide robust evidence for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Meet the Team

Adjunct Appointments

  • Professor Chunlei Han
  • Professor Peng Lu
  • Professor Qi Zhao

Current PhD Students

  • Botian Chen
  • Yuquan Chen
  • Jin Cheng
  • Qingbo Fang
  • Zhihui Guo
  • June Huang
  • Desmond Hoetomo
  • Ke Ju
  • Zhaoyuan Li
  • Rahini Mahendran
  • Linxi Tang
  • Jianing Wang
  • Claude Xing
  • Zhihu Xu

Current Honours student

  • Stijn Liem

Current Master Student

  • Xinyi Ren

Visiting Scholar

  • Professor Lianguo Fu
  • Dr Hang Yu
  • Prof Ying Zhang
  • Tala Shi

Visiting Students

  • Zhaoyue Chen
  • Yujia Huang
  • Nan Chang

Past PhD Students

  • Dr Gongbo Chen – Health effects of particulate matter of 1 µm or less in China: Novel exposure assessment technology and important health outcomes
  • Dr Wenzhong Huang – Global health risks and burden associated with tropical cyclones
  • Dr Samuel Hundessa – Climate change and malaria transmission: A national study in China
  • Dr Yuan Gao – Long-term impacts of wildfire smoke on human health
  • Dr Amanda Johnson – Understanding the associations between coal mine fire smoke and public health
  • Dr Bo Wen – Weather, air pollution and productivity-adjusted life-years
  • Dr Yao Wu – Long-term health impacts of floods: biological age, dementia, and mortality
  • Dr Rongbin Xu – Outdoor environmental factors and human epigenetic modifications
  • Dr Pei Yu – The association between exposure to particulate matter of 2.5 µm or less and cancer
  • Dr Zhengyu Yang – Impacts of Flood on Human Health
  • Dr Tingting Ye – Green Space And Health In Children
  • Dr Wenhua Yu – Global air pollution exposure estimates and its health risks
  • Dr Yiwen Zhang – Wildfire-specific PM2.5 and the health of children and adolescents
  • Dr Qi Zhao – Ambient temperature and hospitalizations in Brazil: Addressing measurement indicators, geographical variation, temporal change, and demographic difference

Past Visiting Scholars

  • Professor Jun Yang, Guangzhou Medical University – Climate change, air pollution, health risk assessment, biostatistical methods
  • Associate Professor Lina Madaniyazi, Nagasaki University – Environmental Epidemiology, Climate Change, Air Pollution
  • Dr Jianjun Xiang, Fujian Medical University – Climate change, environmental pollution and human health
  • Professor Jonathan Patz, University of Wisconsin–Madison – Climate change, environmental pollution and human health
  • Professor Peng Lu, Binzhou Medical University – Environmental toxicology and environmental health
  • Dr Guoxin Xia, Binzhou Medical University – Public Health, Epidemiology, Surgery
  • Professor Yajuan Zhang, Ningxia Medical University – Environmental epidemiology, air pollution and human health, climate change and human health
  • Associate Professor Youn-Hee Lim, Seoul National University, 2018 – Environmental epidemiology and statistics, health impacts of air pollution and climate change
  • Dr Kejia Hu, Zhejiang University, 2017-2018 – Health impacts of climate change and air pollution
  • Assistant Professor Qin Li, Peking University, 2017-2018 – Environmental exposure and birth health
  • Professor Chunlei Han, Binzhou Medical University – Environmental Inequality and human health
  • Professor Liwen Hu, Sun-Yet Sen University – Light in the night and human health
  • Marie Bergmann, University of Copenhagen – Ultrafine particles and human health
  • Liwei Sun, Binzhou Medical University – Air pollution and health risks
  • Wen Li, Shandong University – Air pollution and TB

Past Master Students

  • Yu Xue
  • Xinyi Ren

Past Honours Student

  • Jackson Webb