Host organisation: University of Leeds, UK
Project title: How do the design and operation of residential naturally ventilated buildings in Nigeria affect occupant health and particularly infectious disease risk?
AREF Fellowship research project:
Dr Akande’s AREF Fellowship research project placement was at the Institute for Public Health and Environmental Engineering, University of Leeds.
The AREF fellowship has been a significant step forward for Dr Akande to achieve his research ambition of quantifying factors in the residential indoor environment that promote the spread of infectious diseases, which is a neglected area of health which needs new approaches and effort.
Dr Akande was able to learn some of these advanced methods and was provided with the opportunity to access transferable skills training at Leeds, including writing skills, project design, laboratory-based project management, including finance and resources.
Ultimately, Dr Akande aims to improve respiratory health in Nigeria. He sees the Fellowship as a first step, enabling him to develop a “winning” research project that will produce the kind of scientific information that policymakers and architects need to promote good design and healthy indoor environments in African settings.