CIEH Air Quality Conference

Dr Hanbin Zhang, Regional Clean Air Co-champion & Lecturer and Exposure Scientist, European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter. Hanbin's research focus is on how air pollution can affect human health, and how solutions can be co-created to address these challenges.

His work takes place in Low-and Middle-Income Areas where high level of exposure inequality exists while measurements are often unavailable. His research adopts wearable sensors to understand indoor exposures in environments where solid fuel burning exists, and to understand personal exposures with their source partitions.

Hanbin is the lead for GW4 Air Network – a network aims to promote research, collaboration, funding applications, public awareness, and monitoring capacity on air quality and health in the Southwest England and Wales. Currently the network reaches 43 members from eight major institutions in this region. He is also the organiser for a NERC Adanced Training Course on wearable sensor technology for personal sensing of air pollution (last run in 2024).

John Griffiths, Career Civil Servant - Environmental Protection Division, Welsh Government. During his career, John has worked across several different policy areas. He is committed to improving public health and air quality across Wales. His work focuses on developing and implementing regulations arising from the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Act 2024. The regulations will implement new air quality targets for PM, including additional pollutants under section 1 of the Act. I collaborate with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities and the Clean Air Advisory Panel for Wales. 

Dr Karen Exley, Air Quality and Public Health Programme Lead, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Karen is a member of the UK Research & Innovation Strategic Priorities Fund's Clean Air Steering Committee and Deputy Chair for the National Institute of Health and Care Research's Decarbonising the Health and Social Care System Funding Committee. Her research focuses on environmental public health, particularly on improving exposure and risk assessment of indoor and outdoor air pollution and environmental chemicals. She also works on translating this knowledge into actionable public health tools and guidance for national and local government and other stakeholders. 

Laura Horsfall PhD, Principal Research Fellow, University College London's Institute of Health Informatics. Laura Horsfall, PhD, is Principal Research Fellow at University College London’s Institute of Health Informatics and a Wellcome Career Development award holder in Environmental Epidemiology. With a background in population genetics, health services research, and molecular epidemiology, Laura’s career bridges biological mechanisms and large-scale data science to address public health challenges. Her current fellowship project “Using novel data linkages to quantify the health impact of non-tailpipe air pollution” integrates national datasets to assess the effects of underground transport, mineral extraction, and domestic wood burning on respiratory, mental health, cancer, and mortality outcomes.

Matthew Clark, Programme Manager - Air Quality, Hertfordshire County Council. Matt has worked in a local authority environment since 2010 focussing on air quality since 2012. His current role at Hertfordshire County Council involves developing the links between environmental health, public health and sustainability functions. He is an active member of the local authority air quality profession serving as a member of the CIEH environmental protection panel and  and as local authority representative on DEFRAs Air Quality Information System Review which published work earlier in 2025. Matthew has represented CIEH in discussions with the CMO for England and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) and written pieces featuring in UK100 CANZ document, AQN magazine and EHN. Earlier this year Matt became the East of England Clean Air Champion for the UKRI Clean Air Programme becoming the only Local Authority member and representing the local authority voice at events across the four devolved UK nations.

Sally Jones, Pollution Control Officer, Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Sally Jones has worked at Bradford Council for 23 years in air quality management and more recently, the development of the Bradford Clean Air Plan, plan implementation and managing the evaluation of the plan once implemented. Sally has over 25 years’ experience in local air quality management. After many years contributing to building the evidence base for air quality action through health research Sally has now specialised in implementing interventions to provide tangible air pollution reduction with a focus on maximum public health improvement. Sally has studied Environmental Chemistry at Leeds University and is a registered public health practitioner.

Sarah Haley, Senior Social Researcher - Air Quality and Industrial Emissions Environment Group, Defra. Sarah Haley is a Senior Social Researcher working in the Air Quality and Industrial Emissions team at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In her seven years at Defra, Sarah has managed social research projects, contributing to rural development, the national food strategy, and air quality policy. With expertise in policy evaluation, public insights, and social attitudes, Sarah led the secretariat and development of the evidence programme for the Air Quality Information System Review, which she will discuss at this conference. She holds an MSc in Social Anthropology from UCL and lives in Hebden Bridge, where she enjoys hiking with her toddler and dog.

Dr Suzanne Bartington, Clinical Associate Professor in Environmental Health & UKRI Clean Air Champion, University of Birmingham . Dr Suzanne Bartington is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham leading interdisciplinary research and innovation at the intersect of air quality, climate change and health. In her role as UKRI Clean Air Champion she works closely with policymakers, commercial and not-for-profit partners to translate UKRI Clean Air Programme knowledge and tools into policy and practice. Dr Bartington also co-leads the £2m Wellcome Trust funded “WM-Net Zero” climate mitigation policy solutions with health co-benefits in G7 countries study and is a Co-Investigator for the £7m MRC-NIHR “Indoor HABItability during the Transition to Net Zero Housing” hub.