Dr Benjamin Fenech

Acoustics Specialist

I am an acoustics specialist with a special interest in the non-auditory health effects of sound and noise. I have been working in the field of acoustics for the past 18 years, starting in academia developing advanced acoustic measurement techniques for the aerospace industry. I then moved into acoustic consultancy, where I specialised in assessing the environmental and health impacts of large-scale transport infrastructure schemes. Since 2013 I have been responsible for leading UK Health Security Agency’s work programme on the non-auditory health effects of sound and noise. Sound is a wider determinant of health with complex physiological, psychological and behavioural exposure-health pathways, and requires a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach. I therefore work closely with policy officials in central government, public, professional and standardisation bodies, academia, industry, NGOs and community groups to advance and disseminate the scientific evidence. During the last five years I have been actively involved in workstreams on UK airport expansion and airspace change, and I have first-hand experience of the complexities in translating research findings to multiple audiences, and in developing policy based on incomplete and often conflicting scientific evidence. I am active in research, both as an advisor and a collaborator; research interests include the role of noise exposure metrics to predict health outcomes, the moderating and mediating effects of contextual factors, and the relationship between noise and indoor environmental quality. I sit on a number of British Standards technical committees on topics including transportation noise, residential and industrial noise and building performance evaluation. I am currently an elected member of the Institute of Acoustics council.