Dr Samuel Cai

I was medically trained in preventive medicine and public health and obtained my PhD in Environmental Epidemiology at Imperial College London. My PhD investigated ambient air pollution and traffic noise on cardiovascular and respiratory health in several European cohorts by adopting a data harmonisation approach. After the award of PhD I completed a MRC-funded fellowship based at King’s College and Imperial College London. Prior to joining the Centre I worked at University of Oxford and led on projects on environmental health in the Global South.

My research focuses on understanding the population health impacts of physical environment with a particular interest in indoor and outdoor air pollution traffic noise and urban built environment. My research has been largely underpinned by using rich cohort data in both the UK and Europe as well as using increasingly available open-sourced/personal data to characterise the changing environment and population health profiles. I recently expanded my research into the LMICs context where emerging environmental pollution is projected to become a major health threat along with urbanisation. I am particular interested in investigating to what extent that environmental pollution as well as climate change has affected health and well-being in marginalised populations in LMICs.

(0) 1. Cai Y. Ambient pollen and air quality on children's lung function: is there a synergy?
Thorax. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-217063
2. Cai, Y.S.; Gibson, H.; Ramakrishnan, R.; Mamouei, M.; Rahimi, K. Ambient Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Sub-Saharan African Children: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189729
3.Kupcikova Z et al. Road traffic noise and cardiovascular risk factors in UK Biobank. Eur Heart J 2021 Jun 1;42(21):2072-2084. (senior author*)
4. Cai Y, et al. Long-term exposure to traffic noise and mortality: A systematic review and  meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence between 2000 and 2020. Environ Pollut. 2021 Jan;269:116222.
5. Cai Y* et al. Prenatal, Early-Life, and Childhood Exposure to Air Pollution and Lung Function: The  ALSPAC Cohort. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020 Jul;202(1):112-23. (joint lead authors)
6.  Cai Y et al. Impact of road traffic noise on obesity measures: Observational study of three  European cohorts. Environ Res. 2020 Dec;191:110013. 
7. Liang L*, Cai Y,* et al. Associations between daily air quality and hospitalisations for acute exacerbation  of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Beijing, 2013-17: an ecological analysis. Lancet Planet Heal. 2019 Jun;3(6):e270-9. (joint lead authors)
8. Cai Y, et al. Road traffic noise, air pollution and incident cardiovascular disease: A joint analysis of the HUNT, EPIC-Oxford and UK Biobank cohorts. Environ Int. 2018;114:191-201. 
9. Cai Y, et al. Long-term exposure to road traffic noise, ambient air pollution, and cardiovascular risk factors in the HUNT and lifelines cohorts. Eur Heart J. 2017
10. Cai Y, et al. Ambient air pollution, traffic noise and adult asthma prevalence: a BioSHaRE approach. Eur Respir J. 2017; .

Environmental exposure and health; urban health; global health; exposure science;

Teaching to be updated

Urban air pollution noise greenspace and their health impacts