A leading UK air pollution specialist from the University of Surrey has been selected to join a key government advisory panel responsible for guiding national air quality policy.
Prashant Kumar, Founding Director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), has been appointed to the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG), an independent scientific committee that provides expert advice to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). His appointment follows a competitive selection and interview process.
The AQEG plays a central role in supporting both the UK government and devolved administrations by analysing the sources, behaviour and impacts of air pollution. Its work helps build the national evidence base and shapes policies aimed at improving air quality.
Professor Kumar, who was first mentioned in AQN as long ago as 2015, is recognised globally for his contributions to air pollution research and is among the most highly cited experts in the field. His work has earned international recognition, including the prestigious Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board, one of the top honours in air quality science.
Alongside his new advisory role, he leads the UKRI-funded RECLAIM Network Plus, serves as a trustee for Zero Carbon Guildford, and holds academic positions as an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Southeast and Chongqing Universities in China.
Professor Prashant Kumar said: ‘Indoor and outdoor air quality is central to tackling the country’s most pressing health challenges – such as understanding and dealing with the long-term effects of pollution exposure on vulnerable communities. I am looking forward to contributing to the evidence base that shapes national policy in this area, and to helping ensure that science drives the decisions that affect the air people breathe every day.’
Along with his role at GCARE, Professor Prashant Kumar is Chair in Air Quality and Health at Surrey’s School of Engineering and Co-Director of the University’s Institute for Sustainability. His research focuses on the sources, behaviour and health effects of air pollutants in cities – from traffic emissions and nanoparticles to indoor air quality and nature-based solutions for cleaner urban environments.
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