Dr Omar Nawaz

(he/him)

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

You can find more information about my research interests and projects on my website under the research tab: http://omarnawaz.com/ but currently, my interests span five major categories:

Co-benefits of Climate Action

Climate action is irrevocably linked to air pollution. Sources of greenhouse gases often co-emit air pollutants and their chemical precursors; thus, action targeting greenhouse gases can result in air pollution-related co-benefits that are realized through improvements in air quality.

Remote Sensing of Air Pollution

Remote sensing instruments measure concentrations of atmospheric trace gases such as NO₂ and aerosol optical depth with implications for PM_2.5 concentrations. These satellite-derived data are capable of characterizing air pollution in areas where air quality monitoring stations are limited (i.e., predominantly rural communities and the global south). These data can also be used to validate model simulations and identify areas and sources that may be under- or over-estimated.

Characterizing the Sources of Air Pollution

Understanding the sources that contribute to air pollution is essential for developing effective action to improve air quality and remove its associated health impacts. Adjoint modeling can be used to link sources of pollution to receptors to identify the most important drivers of local or regional air pollution.

Estimating the Health Effects of Wildfires

Wildfires are a significant source of air pollution - primarily of PM_2.5 - and their air quality-related health impacts present a significant public health challenge. As the effects of climate change are realized, it is likely that wildfires will increase in frequency and severity.

Estimating Surface Pollution

Estimates of surface-level pollution are vital for epidemiological, risk assessment, and environmental justice studies; however, there are challenges in characterizing pollution at relevant spatial and temporal resolution. Satellite-derived data can provide clues about pollution levels at the surface, but additional data integrated through determinstic, statistical, and machine learning methods are needed to convert columns to surface-level estimates.

Teaching

I am the module leader of:

• The Ocean-Atmosphere System (Semester 1) for Year 2 BSc Students

I also lecture for:

• Digitial Fieldwork (Semester 2) Year 1 BSc Students
• GIS, maps, and analytical skills (Semester 1) Year 1 BSc Students
• Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience (Semester 2) MSc Students

I also supervise for BSc and MSc dissertations and provide pastoral support through tutorials.

Biography

I joined the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Cardiff University as a Lecturer in Climate Change Science in March 2025. My research focuses on the intersection of atmospheric composition, climate policy, and public health. Current projects include developing surface-level pollutant concentration estimates by fusing satellite retrievals with machine-learning methods, and running global chemical transport and adjoint model simulations to quantify how climate mitigation and energy-policy scenarios affect transboundary air pollution, health outcomes, and exposure inequalities.

Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. There I developed remote-sensing datasets to estimate surface-level fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide concentrations for epidemiological studies, including the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study. I also evaluated early observations from the TEMPO geostationary satellite instrument, conducted intercomparisons of airborne, satellite, and ground-based monitoring of pollution sources, and worked with policy stakeholders to integrate equity and health considerations into atmospheric modelling frameworks.

I completed my PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I applied adjoint sensitivity analysis and earth-system modelling using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to attribute urban and national-scale pollution to specific source sectors and regions, and to simulate how changes in anthropogenic emission trajectories affect future air quality and associated mortality.

I began my career in air quality and health research at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I developed a geospatial framework integrating CDC county-level disease surveillance data, satellite-derived pollution estimates, and population exposure datasets to quantify air pollution health impacts across the United States.

Honours and awards

Professional memberships

Academic positions

• 2025 - Present: Lecturer in Climate Change Science, Cardiff University, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• 2023 - 2025: Postdoctoral Research Associate, George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
• 2018 - 2022: Research Assistant, University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• 2016 - 2018: Research Assistant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health

Committees and reviewing

Supervisions

Potential Project Topics

• Estimating the health and equity impacts of climate policies
• Applying machine-learning to satellite observations of air pollution to estimate surface-level concentrations
• Quantifying the impacts of wildfire smoke on health
• Understanding how the sources of air pollution differ across different environments (e.g., Urban vs. Rural communities)

News articles

Climate policy must consider cross-border pollution “exchanges” to address inequality and achieve health benefits, research finds

12 February 2026

First-of-its-kind study assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders

Policies targeting road transport emissions could save 1.9 million lives globally by 2040, new study finds

19 May 2025

Analysis demonstrates dramatic health benefits from combining emission standards, electric vehicles, accelerated fleet renewal, and clean electricity for electric vehicles