UCL team awarded Dufton Silver Medal at the CIBSE 2024 President’s Awards Dinner

At the CIBSE 2024 President’s Awards Dinner held in October at The Savoy London, a team from UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering was honoured with the Dufton Silver Medal for their significant contributions to indoor air quality research. The award recognised their paper, titled "Measurement and Rapid Assessment of Indoor Air Quality at Mass Gathering Events to Assess Ventilation Performance and Reduce Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2," which addresses critical public health challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research, led by Liora Malki-Epshtein and co-authored by Malcolm Cook, Filipa Adzic, Chris Iddon, Ben Roberts, Murat Mustafa, and Abigail Hathway, presents innovative methods for evaluating air quality in large venues. The study was a key part of the UK Government's Events Research Programme, aimed at safely reopening events while minimising the risk of airborne virus transmission.

Reflecting on the award, Malki-Epshtein expressed pride in the team’s achievements during a challenging period from April to July 2021, when they installed air quality sensors in 189 individual rooms across ten large venues. This comprehensive study not only included assessments of ventilation but also integrated behavioral and microbiological surveys, contributing to a holistic understanding of air quality management in crowded settings.

The project received funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and was analysed with support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the AIRBODS consortium, led by Malcolm Cook. The team continues to analyse the data and publish findings, further advancing knowledge in building services engineering.

The Dufton Silver Medal serves as a testament to the critical role that CIBSE members play in enhancing public health through innovative research and collaboration in the building services industry.

• CIBSE honours outstanding contributions members at Presidents Awards
• Measurement and Rapid Assessment of Indoor Air Quality at Mass Gathering Events to Assess Ventilation Performance and Reduce Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2