معرفی
Dr Ting Sun is an Associate Professor in the Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London, specializing in urban climate modelling and climate hazard risks. His multidisciplinary research spans hydrology, meteorology, and the built environment, with a focus on understanding and mitigating climate risks in urban areas.
Education and Career
- PhD in Hydrology, Tsinghua University (2013)
- BEng in Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University (2009)
- Visiting PhD Student, Princeton University (2011–2012)
- NERC Independent Research Fellow, University of Reading (2017–2022)
Research Interests
Dr Sun’s research centers on the impacts of weather and climate extremes—such as heat waves and extreme rainfall—on cities. He is particularly interested in urban climate modeling across scales, from neighborhood to global, and how these phenomena intersect with public health and building energy systems. He is the lead developer of the SUEWS (Surface Urban Energy and Water balance Scheme) model and its Python wrapper SuPy, and a core member of the UMEP (Urban Multi-scale Environment Predictor) development team.
Recent Research Trends
His recent publications reflect a strong focus on urban heat islands, precipitation enhancement by cities, structural uncertainty in urban climate models, and the integration of machine learning in environmental modeling. These works contribute significantly to understanding and predicting urban climate dynamics and their broader societal impacts.
Scientific Awards and Recognition
- NERC Independent Research Fellowship (2017–2022)
- HEA Fellow (2023)
- Editorial Board Member, Scientific Data (2024–present)
- Topic Editor, Geoscientific Model Development (2025–present)
Teaching and Supervision
At UCL, Dr Sun leads modules such as IRDR0001 (Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards and Vulnerability) and IRDR0020 (Climate and Natural Hazard Risks). He also contributes to external teaching and supervision of research degrees, and is available for consultancy, peer review, and mentoring.
Labs and Teams
He collaborates closely with the micromet team led by Prof. Sue Grimmond at the University of Reading, and is actively involved in the development and application of open-source tools like SuPy and UMEP for urban climate services and research.
