Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings, University of Leeds
Professor Catherine Noakes OBE FREng is a leading expert in the science of how airborne diseases spread through buildings.
As Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds, she specialises in ventilation, indoor air quality and the role engineering can play in reducing infection risk in the built environment. Catherine studied mathematical engineering at the University of Leeds, where she developed a fascination with fluid dynamics and completed a PhD focusing on industrial process flows. As a postdoctoral researcher she discovered the huge potential for using fluid dynamics to understand how air moves within buildings and how this influences health and safety.
Her research has since focused on understanding the transmission of airborne pathogens such as influenza and tuberculosis, and on developing engineering solutions to control their spread. She has worked closely with organisations including the NHS and UK Health Security Agency shaping approaches to infection prevention in healthcare settings and beyond.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catherine played a pivotal role as a member of the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) helping to explain how the virus spreads in indoor spaces and advising on practical mitigation measures including ventilation and air cleaning. Her work informed national and international policy and public guidance, influencing how workplaces, public transport, schools and public buildings responded to the crisis.
In recognition of her contributions to the pandemic response, she was appointed OBE in 2020. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2021 and was awarded the Royal Society Gabor medal in 2023 for her contribution to infection risk modelling.
Professor Catherine Noakes OBE FREng
