While the field of Global Health seeks to address the drivers and outcomes of well-being for international populations from a medical or epidemiological perspective, Global Health Engineering addresses determinants of health as a function of engineered interventions and systems. Our work looks at ways of reducing the negative impacts of modern life, particularly in urban areas of over-exploited countries. Our research seeks to reduce the negative impacts of improperly managed human, organic, and anthropogenic waste while ensuring that solutions are affordable, effective, and acceptable to users.
Methodologically, we rely on the fundamental tools of engineering to develop and optimize technology, social science to understand the perceptions and behaviours of populations regarding interventions, and economics to determine financial feasibility and user acceptance.
Cross-cutting all of our work are three core principles: How and why failure has occurred in the past is the foundation of our decision to develop or not develop something new; by adopting open science principles, we are committed to ensuring that our research is reproducible, transparent and reusable for the greatest possible impact. Most importantly, we acknowledge the historical inequalities of international research and strive to understand, implement, and contribute to anti-colonial principles within Global Health Engineering in all of our work.
Attending a UN Climate Change Conference like COP29 in Azerbaijan is no small feat — and not just because of the logistical and financial hurdles. From exclusive badges to exorbitant costs, these global events often restrict access to the very people most affected by climate change, raising urgent questions about inclusivity and representation in the fight for our planet’s future.
Elizabeth Tilley, Professor of Global Health Engineering at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, and her team have been awarded the National ORD Prize 2024 by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences for their research project «openwashdata».
