Matthew Benyon

I am a full time PhD student at Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability and funded by the Institute for Environmental Futures through a future 100 studentship. I began work on my project, “Household air pollution (HAP) exposure modelling for health risk evaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa”, in September 2022. I graduated from the University of Leicester with a BSc in Physics in 2021, followed by an MSc Data Science from the University of Birmingham in 2022. 

Looking ahead, my goal is to use the outcomes of my PhD research to make a real impact. I'm determined to bridge the gap between theory and action by using data-driven insights to shape policies and initiatives that address the health risks associated with household air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa.

My research is focused on the adaptation of newly implemented tools from the World Health Organisation for modelling HAP and its associated health risks in the Sub-Saharan Africa context. In particular, I am working within South Africa in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and University of Witwatersrand on a project developing methodology for the use of low-cost sensor for collecting indoor air quality data for longitudinal health research. As a member of the on-the-ground field work participant recruitment, air quality sensor installation and surveys of household and dwelling characteristics. Moreover, I have led the analysis of the results from this study, including calibrating low-cost sensors and developing models to understand the association of different characteristics with HAP. In addition, I have taken charge of crafting participant feedback infographics prototypes, which were then recreated by a graphic designer.  Feedback was then presented at two in-person sessions aimed at disseminating our research outcomes within the local community. Through these sessions, I facilitated constructive dialogue and heightened awareness surrounding pertinent health issues.

Wright CY, Benyon M, Mahlangeni N, Kapwata T, Laban T, Garland RM. Data gaps will leave scientists ‘in the dark’: How load shedding is obscuring our understanding of air quality. S Afr J Sci. 2023;119(9/10),Art. #16009. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/1600

I demonstrate on the Satellite Data Science MSc module "Earth Observation of the Atmosphere"  (PA7201)