Dr Gemma Hunt
Academic and research departments
Centre for Environment and Sustainability, School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering.About
My research project
Reducing school children's exposure to air pollution in LondonGemma is a second year PhD researcher at the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey investigating how to most effectively reduce school children's exposure to to air pollution in London. Children are more vulnerable than adults to the damaging health effects of air pollution. This is because of their greater physiological sensitivity, higher respiration rates, greater proportion of time generally spent outdoors and their closer physical proximity to vehicle exhaust pipes when walking. Whilst children in UK cities have been found to be exposed to unacceptably high levels of pollution on the journey to and from school, research has shown that this problem is particularly acute in London.
Biography
Gemma holds a M.Phil in Politics from the University of Cambridge and a BSc. Hons in Economics and Sociology from the University of Surrey. Prior to her PhD research Gemma worked as a senior transport consultant for some years delivering a range of sustainable transport projects and programmes in London and the South East. This included working for a global engineering company on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority, Transport for London and Highways England. Gemma has also worked for local authorities in their transport planning and road safety departments to manage and deliver a range of schemes and projects.
Supervisors
Gemma is a second year PhD researcher at the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey investigating how to most effectively reduce school children's exposure to to air pollution in London. Children are more vulnerable than adults to the damaging health effects of air pollution. This is because of their greater physiological sensitivity, higher respiration rates, greater proportion of time generally spent outdoors and their closer physical proximity to vehicle exhaust pipes when walking. Whilst children in UK cities have been found to be exposed to unacceptably high levels of pollution on the journey to and from school, research has shown that this problem is particularly acute in London.
Biography
Gemma holds a M.Phil in Politics from the University of Cambridge and a BSc. Hons in Economics and Sociology from the University of Surrey. Prior to her PhD research Gemma worked as a senior transport consultant for some years delivering a range of sustainable transport projects and programmes in London and the South East. This included working for a global engineering company on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority, Transport for London and Highways England. Gemma has also worked for local authorities in their transport planning and road safety departments to manage and deliver a range of schemes and projects.