DRF Lunchtime Clinic - Professor Ronita Bardhan

The DRF Lunchtime Clinic delights to welcome Professor Ronita Bardhan, Professor of Sustainable Built Environment and Health at the University of Cambridge, who will join us to talk about Built Environment Interventions for Precision Population Health.

Abstract

As climate change accelerates health risks, particularly in urban and socioeconomically vulnerable populations, the built environment emerges as a powerful lever for targeted, preventive health strategies. This presentation explores how data-driven design and spatial interventions in housing and urban infrastructure can support precision population health—tailoring interventions to specific groups based on exposure, vulnerability, and behavioural patterns. Drawing on case studies from the UK, India, and Southeast Asia, it highlights evidence from interventions that mitigate indoor heat stress, reduce energy poverty, and improve gender-equitable adaptation. The talk presents an interdisciplinary framework that aligns architecture, public health, and climate resilience to advance low-carbon, health-optimised environments in an era of planetary uncertainty.

Bio

Professor Ronita Bardhan is Professor of Sustainable Built Environment and Health at the University of Cambridge, where she leads the Cambridge Sustainable Design Group. She is Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Bardhan also holds associate and visiting positions by courtesy at Cambridge Public Health; Cambridge Infectious Disease ,  Department of Computer Science and Technology. Her research focuses on built environment interventions for precision population health, particularly in the context of a warming climate. She integrates data science, design, and public health to develop evidence-based strategies that reduce heat stress, energy poverty, and health inequities in cities. Ronita’s work has influenced gender-sensitive climate adaptation and decarbonisation policies across the Global South and the UK. As a leading voice on climate-health links, she regularly advises governments and international organisations on low-carbon, health-optimised interventions. Prof. Bardhan has awarded Top 50 Women in Engineering Finalist (2024) and is recognised globally as top 30 leading researchers in sustainable design .