A PhD student and CEO of a Lancaster University resident company has been appointed as a regional ‘Clean Air Champion’ this week.

Douglas Booker has been appointed as the UK Research and Innovation Strategic Priorities Fund Regional Clean Air Champion for the West Midlands to the North West of England.

As a Regional Clean Air Champion, Douglas ishelping to bring together research across atmospheric, medical, and social science to develop practical solutions for air quality issues. Douglas is helping to ensure that these interdisciplinary communities are connected to the public, wider policy, and business environments to maximise the impact of their research.

Co-Founder & CEO of NAQTS, a Lancaster Environment Centre collocated business that designs and develops indoor air quality monitoring technologies and testing services, Douglas is also a part-time PhD Researcher at Lancaster University. His research uses a combination of natural and social science methods to measure air quality in and around schools. Douglas’s research is focused on developing a ’critical air quality science’ that opens up the ‘black box’ of air quality knowledge production to understand how air quality science understands, creates, and communicates knowledge.

With his commercial experience, and indoor air quality and environmental justice expertise, Douglas will help the national Clean Air Champions, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, Dr Gary Fuller, and Dr Suzanne Bartington to continue their work in bringing together outstanding researchers across atmospheric, medical, and social sciences to develop practical solutions for air quality issues.

When asked about his newly appointed role, Douglas said: “Clean air is essential for our health and wellbeing, and the only way to improve air quality in a fair manner is by working in partnership. I’m a passionate believer in transdisciplinary collaboration as well as building connections between research and business to improve air quality. I look forward to supporting the National and Regional Clean Air Champions’ efforts to engage with all sectors of society to raise awareness of air quality and to deliver long-lasting, effective, and fair air quality solutions.”