Dr. Kirsti Ashworth

Kirsti is a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow at Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University, where she heads the SAPlInG (Society-Atmosphere-Plant Interactions Group) Lab. She has a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences and her research interests focus on all aspects of fluxes of reactive trace gases, particularly biogenic volatile hydrocarbons, as well as nitrogen and sulphur-containing compounds.

She has expertise in developing and applying models of land surface-atmosphere interactions across space and time, with a particular focus on the bi-directional relationships between global change (climate, air quality and land use) and forest biogeochemical processes and human health. Kirsti has experience in laboratory and field-based measurements of plant physiology, morphology and biochemistry, atmospheric concentrations and fluxes of trace gases, and personal exposure to air pollutants. She has also gained experience bringing together qualitative and quantitative data collation and analysis methodologies in her role as theme lead for Health and Wellbeing Futures at Lancaster University’s prestigious Institute for Social Futures. Kirsti is also an affiliate member of the cutting-edge Data Science Institute through which she explores advanced Big Data and AI analysis techniques. She currently leads two participatory research studies” “Planting Healthy Air in Schools” a project to introduce trees and other vegetation into primary school playgrounds and an initiative to map people’s perceptions of greenspace in the City of Lancaster District.