• Date and time: Friday 24 January 2025, 6.30pm to 8pm
  • Location: Online only
  • Audience: Open to alumni, staff, students, the public
  • Admission: Free admission, booking required

Book tickets

Event details

Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control this event will now be held online. 

Speakers, including Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, will discuss the power of chemistry to tackle air pollution and provide clean air solutions.

Emphasising measurement and answers, the event marks the tenth anniversary of the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories at the University of York.

Speakers also include Jacqueline Hamilton, Science Director of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and Ryan Ballard, Engineering Director at JCB.

Each speaker will offer a different perspective on air pollution and provide thoughts on opportunities. Chris will examine the issues from a public health viewpoint, while Jacqueline will explore clean air from the perspective of the research community and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Ryan will describe how a new generation of hydrogen engines can simultaneously support decarbonisation and improve air quality in construction and farming.

The Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories

Opened in 2014, the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories enable experimental and theoretical studies relating to the science of local and global air pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.

About the speakers

Professor Jacqueline Hamilton is the Science Director at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and a Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories at the University of York. She develops novel analytical techniques to understand the sources of air pollution both outdoors and within homes. She also studies how these chemicals evolve once they are emitted to the atmosphere and their impact on human health. She was awarded the 2009 Desty Memorial Award for Innovation in Separation Science and in 2018, was named as the President of the chemistry section of the British Science Association. She is currently the President of the UK and Ireland Aerosol Society.

Professor Chris Whitty is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, the UK government’s Chief Medical Adviser, and head of the public health profession. He has worked in Africa, Asia, and the UK and previously served as Chief Scientific Adviser for DHSC and head of NIHR. He is an honorary professor at LSHTM and UCL and continues as a practising clinician at UCLH.

Ryan Ballard is Engineering Director at JCB.