leadership Team

Nicola Carslaw is a Professor of indoor air chemistry at the University of York and a Fellow of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

With her group, her research primarily involves numerical modelling of air pollution chemistry in the indoor environment, investigating the chemical processes that cause high concentrations of air pollutants indoors. 

Current research focuses on indoor air pollution that results from the use of cleaning devices and surface cleaners, emissions from materials (e.g. furnishing) and humans (e.g. from skin and breath), as well as other activities associated with human occupancy (e.g. cooking and cleaning). We are also interested in understanding the role of light indoors and the increasingly important role that surfaces appear to play in modifying indoor air quality. 

Through gaining this improved understanding such as through our activities in the INGENIOUS project, we hope to contribute to the design of mitigation measures that improve indoor air quality in our homes.

University of York

Project Lead / WP4 lead

University of York

WP1 lead

Terry is the lead for the lab-based experiments in WP1, investigating emissions from materials and activities indoors.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

WP2 co-lead

Rosie is the director of the Born in Bradford research programme, following the lives of tens of thousands of families living in Bradford to explore why some families stay health and why others fall ill. Rosie is leading WP2 which will explore indoor air quality and health in 300 homes of Born in Bradford families. She is also contributing to WP6 aiming to co-produce ways of reducing exposure to indoor pollution with communities. 

University of York & National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)

WP2 co-lead

Jacqui leads WP 2b that is focused on making measurements of the air quality within 300 homes in Bradford. She is responsible for understanding the chemical composition of different types of particle sources and to help identify which sources lead to poor indoor air quality. She also supports WP 1. Jacqui is also Science Director of NCAS (National Centre for Atmospheric Science).

University of York

WP3 lead

This work package is focused on the outdoor measurement of VOCs using the SIFT mass spectrometer, together with other air pollutants. The main focus will be on developing new measurement data and analysis methods using the York mobile laboratory to understand and quantify indoor emission sources and their impacts outdoors. 

University of Manchester

WP5 lead

Gordon works on measuring particulate composition and properties, modelling particulate formation and transformation, and understanding the impacts of various sorts of pollution on human health. His team helps characterise the particle composition in the homes sampled in WP2 and understand the transformation of indoor particulate pollution using models in WP4. He leads WP5 aiming to quantify health impacts of indoor air pollution. He also leads a Clean Air consortium characterising the relative toxicity of different pollution sources, providing a "hazard ranking"

University of Sheffield

WP6 lead

Chantelle is a behavioural scientist at the University of Sheffield. Chantelle is leading WP6, which focuses on understanding and overcoming barriers to behaviours that could reduce production of or exposure to indoor air pollution. She is also involved in WP7, supporting the translation of the research into real-world impact.

University of York

WP7 lead

Nicholas is Director of the Centre for Housing Policy, an interdisciplinary group working in the fields of housing exclusion and social geography. He is the University of York Research Champion for Justice and Equalities, a Senior Fellow in the NIHR School for Social Care Research and a member of the European Observatory of Homelessness. He is leading WP7 with Sarah West, which will focus on the effective dissemination of the results of INGENIOUS, working with an Impact Panel of key stakeholders to help ensure an effective media and policy impact strategy. Nicholas is also contributing to WP6. 

Stockholm Environment Institute,
University of York

Co-Investigator

Sarah is Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute York centre. She is supporting community engagement, in particular co-design of interventions, and helping to ensure the project has impact on policy and practice.

University of York & National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)

Co-Investigator

Ally is working in INGENIOUS to better understand the distribution and sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found inside homes. His lab uses canisters to collect around 6 litres of air in each home, over several days, which is then returned to York for detailed chemical analysis. When this data is combined with information on ventilation, occupancy, building type and other activities going on inside the house, it can resolve which sources make the biggest impacts. With this information in hand, targeted and specific advice can be given to improve air quality inside. 

University of York & National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)

Co-Investigator

James is an NCAS (National Centre for Atmospheric Science) research fellow working in the area of atmospheric oxidants in the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, University of York.

University of York

Co-Investigator

Pete’s interests include the role of chlorine as an atmospheric oxidant, and his group make measurements of key chlorine containing compounds in order to quantify its impact. Many cleaning products can result in the release of chlorinated compounds to indoor atmospheres, and Pete will investigate this as part of the WP1 experiments. Pete also has an interest in low-cost air pollution sensor technologies, and will contribute to the WP2 sensor deployment.

Other team members are listed under the work package they are involved in.