The Environmental Research Group (ERG) at Imperial College London and the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University have established a two-year strategic partnership to advance environmental health research in arid urban settings. The agreement was officially launched on February 9 at Imperial’s White City Campus in London, uniting both institutions to pursue collaborative studies aimed at informing environmental health policies in Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other regions facing comparable challenges.
The partnership sets a framework for sustained collaboration through joint funding opportunities, shared research projects, and ongoing knowledge exchange. This initiative aligns with Qatar’s national priorities by supporting environmental resilience, sustainability, and public health goals, while simultaneously reinforcing the country’s expanding role in global environmental research.
Rapid urbanization in hot, arid environments creates a unique combination of natural and human-made exposures, posing complex health risks. The joint programme will concentrate on three key research areas: evaluation of air pollution exposure across indoor and outdoor environments, development of improved methodologies to better capture personal and population exposure patterns in hot urban areas; study of the oxidative potential and toxicological effects of natural desert dust mixed with anthropogenic emissions and their impact on human health; and investigation of the presence, transport mechanisms, and health implications of microplastics in air and water, with a particular emphasis on Qatar’s environment.
The partnership leverages ERG’s expertise in exposure science, air pollution epidemiology, toxicology, and environmental health alongside QEERI’s strengths in air quality science, source attribution, atmospheric chemistry, and environmental health research. Together, the institutions aim to produce policy-relevant research that delivers measurable public health benefits.
Dr. Tareq Al Ansari, executive director of QEERI, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, noting it enhances the institute’s capacity to address urgent environmental challenges through international cooperation. He emphasized that the partnership would facilitate high-impact scientific contributions supporting sustainable development and environmental health resilience in Qatar and beyond.
Frank Kelly, director of ERG, described the alliance as a significant advancement in environmental health research, especially in regions where natural and man-made environmental exposures converge. He stressed that the combined efforts of both institutions would generate robust evidence capable of shaping policies and improving health outcomes in Qatar and the UK.
The formal partnership agreement was signed by Professors Frank Kelly and Dr. Tareq Al Ansari at ERG’s offices within the Michael Uren Hub at the White City Campus.