"PhD Studentship: Modelling Indoor Air Quality Impact on Physical and Mental Health"

University of Birmingham - Department of Civil Engineering

About the Project

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship to start in October 2026. To be considered for this PhD, please follow the instructions here: https://www.centre-ub.org/studentships/application-process/

• Fully funded 4-year PhD studentship at the University of Birmingham.
• Scholarship covers tuition fees and stipend/salary for home students only (UK citizens, Irish citizens and those with settled status in the UK).
• Unique opportunity to initiate a professional career in the highly demanded area of Indoor Air Quality, making real-life impact.
• Access to secondments and ample networking opportunities within established networks and hubs.

Candidate Requirements

• An Undergraduate degree with at least 2.1 in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Architecture, Geography or Computer Science.
• A Masters’ degree is desirable but not essential. The student will have the opportunity of taking a relevant M-level module during their PhD.

The Project

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Hertfordshire County Council to start in October 2026.

This PhD project provides a clear career pathway in the rapidly growing field of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Despite increasing demand, very few postgraduate programmes offer structured access to this multidisciplinary area. The successful candidate will benefit from secondments in public institutions and participation in emerging research networks and (www.linkedin.com/company/breathe-in-plus/); https://chili.ac.uk/), with strong engagement from industrial partners. The research will contribute to improving quality of life and health in the UK and internationally.

The overall aim of the project is to understand how IAQ affects the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, with the ultimate goal of creating healthier indoor spaces and habits. The project will: (1) use existing datasets to characterise IAQ in spaces where young people live, study and spend time; (2) employ computational models to design and test interventions to improve IAQ in these environments; and (3) incorporate behavioural aspects into these models. The candidate will develop strong analytical and computational skills while delivering research with clear societal impact.

The student will use physics-based computational models to simulate air quality in indoor environments, tracking pollutants, damp, mould and allergens, and testing mitigation strategies. These may include recommendations for the design or retrofit of buildings, improvements to ventilation, the use of filtration or disinfection technologies, and the promotion of healthier behaviours. A subsequent phase will apply data-driven methods to assess how such interventions influence mental health outcomes, and how best to communicate IAQ risks and mitigation strategies to occupants. Existing datasets will be used to explore associations between air quality, cognition, sleep and mental health in childhood and adolescence.

The student will be based in the School of Engineering at UoB, with a second supervisor from the School of Psychology. They will have access to world-leading computational facilities, a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment, and extensive professional development opportunities. The studentship also includes collaboration with Hertfordshire County Council, providing experience with real-world scenarios.

To be considered for this PhD, please follow the instructions, click the 'Apply' button above.

Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Priority will be given to home students on this project.