Professor Anna Hansell
Centre Director
Professor in Environmental Epidemiology
I have a long-standing research interest in environmental impacts on human health and the health of the environment, with special expertise in health impacts of air pollution on respiratory disease and in environmental noise and health. My initial career was in respiratory medicine, after which I specialised in public health. I have been working in environmental epidemiology for over 20 years. My PhD investigated environmental factors affecting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality. More recently I have conducted some of the longest running and largest studies looking at air pollution and health and am one of a small number of UK epidemiologists investigating long-term health effects of transport noise. I hold an honorary consultant post with UK Health Security Agency and with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. I am Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester. I am also Director of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health at the University of Leicester, working with UK Health Security Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. Starting from June 2021, I chair the UK government scientific advisory committee, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP). The Professorship in Environmental Epidemiology at the University of Leicester is generously supported by entrepreneur Bob Woods, MBE.