معرفی
Claire Horwell is Professor of Geohealth in the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, UK, with additional affiliations as Fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing and Management Board Member in the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience. She also serves as Honorary Professor at the UK Health & Security Agency and Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN), which she has led since 2003.
Horwell's research focuses on understanding the health hazards of natural and industrial mineral dusts, particularly volcanic ash. Her work spans several interdisciplinary strands: physicochemical analysis of particles to assess respiratory hazard; fundamental questions surrounding the 'structure-toxicity' relationship of mineral particles; exposure assessments to airborne particles; social research within communities to understand risk perceptions and protective behaviors; assessment of respiratory protection effectiveness; co-development of evidence-based informational products; and evaluation of ethical and legal aspects of respiratory protection distribution. Her research integrates natural, social, and medical sciences through extensive international collaborations.
Horwell's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on volcanic health hazards, with recent work expanding to include child-specific respiratory protection, crystalline silica hazards in volcanic systems, multi-hazard climate events, and cross-cultural studies of community responses. Her research bridges laboratory analysis with field applications, connecting mineralogical properties to health outcomes and developing practical community interventions.
- 2024: American Geophysical Union GeoHealth Section Award
- 2020: European Geosciences Union Plinius Medal for interdisciplinary natural hazards research
Horwell has secured significant funding through RCUK & NERC Fellowships (2007-2012), NERC Fellowships (2005-2007), and Leverhulme Trust Postdoctoral Research Assistantship (2003-2005). She advises the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and the UK Cabinet Office on volcanic ash health hazards and serves on multiple advisory boards including the Royal Society's Research Grants Board (2022-2024) and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) for volcanic eruptions.
She leads the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN), which serves as the global hub for volcanic health research and dissemination, and collaborates with the Institute of Occupational Medicine on respiratory protection testing. Her work directly informs public policy in multiple countries regarding volcanic risk communication and mitigation strategies.
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