“We are delighted to have Matthias Ketzel as a Visiting Professor at the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. Professor Ketzel is an accomplished atmospheric scientist, known for his work on fundamental dynamics and applications to local air pollution exposure and health impacts. This is an excellent opportunity for the GCARE team to work together towards our collaborative global vision of ‘clean air for all’” says Professor Prashant Kumar, the founding Director of GCARE at the University of Surrey. Professor Ketzel’s inaugural lecture at GCARE is planned early next year.

Matthias Ketzel is a leading expert in the field of high-resolution air pollution exposure modelling, and has 25 years of experience with assessment and modelling of air quality. His research has a global impact and spans fundamental dynamics and applications to local air pollution exposure and health impacts. “I am looking forward to collaborating even more closely with Prof. Kumar and his excellent group at GCARE, through common research projects, shared supervision and exchange of students, teaching and joint publishing.” says Dr. Ketzel.

Originally educated as a physicist at TU Dresden, Germany, Matthias Ketzel moved to Roskilde Denmark about 20 years ago, to join the European Project on Traffic Pollution (TRAPOS) lead by the National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark – now Aarhus University.   At that time, the University of Surrey was one of the key partners in the project. In 2004, Professor Ketzel received his PhD from Lund University, Sweden, working with dispersion of ultrafine particles in so-called “street canyons”.

Air pollution is one of the top environmental risks and has been associated with a wide range of health outcomes. Matthias Ketzel has participated in a large number of research projects, mostly internationally funded by European and US American funding agencies. These projects have shown links between air pollution and asthma, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and even psychological disorders, among others. “Besides showing the links, our research also points at solutions for reducing exposure to pollution, for instance by introducing environmental zones, promoting low emission vehicles and public transport or recommending ‘green’ routes for pedestrians and cyclists’’, says Dr. Ketzel.