Dr Gabriel Okello

Gabriel is a leading exposure scientist driving action at the nexus of climate change, air pollution, health, and sustainable development in rapidly urbanising cities. With over a decade of experience, his work confronts the climate crisis by advancing long-term, context-specific strategies that safeguard population and planetary health.

Gabriel’s work is grounded in mixed-methods, participatory, and transdisciplinary approaches, enabling the co-creation of evidence-informed solutions tailored to the realities of fast-growing urban environments. His approach is deeply collaborative, engaging stakeholders across academia, policy, business, and communities to co-design strategies that are both scientifically robust and socially grounded. Gabriel is also passionate about promoting citizen science and locally relevant interventions.

Currently, Gabriel works with collaborators across Africa, the UK, Europe, Asia, and the U.S., building bridges between research and policy, and fostering training and engagement that reflect lived realities. His work strengthens research-policy ecosystems and promotes coordinated action across sectors.

Above all, Gabriel navigates the complex worlds of science, policy, and society with urgency, empathy, and strategic foresight, driving transformative change in urban health and sustainability.

gabriel.okello@cisl.cam.ac.uk

go270@cam.ac.uk

Career

• 2025: Technical Expert judge for the Low Carbon, Climate Smart Technologies for the L’Oreal Accelerator Program
• 2025 Edie NetZero finalist for Transport and Mobility Project of the Year
• 2025 to Present: Assistant Research Professor and The King’s Global Sustainability Fellow
• 2024 to 2025: The King's Global Sustainability Fellow in Air Quality and NCDs (Senior Research Associate)
• 2023 – Technical Expert judge for the UNICEF under 30 innovation pitches.
• 2020 to 2023: The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellow in Air Quality and NCDs (Research Associate)
• 2019 : Co-founder, African Centre for Clean Air
• 2015 to 2019: Postgraduate researcher, University of Aberdeen, Respiratory Group
• 2013 to 2018: Operations Director, Green Heat Uganda
• 2011 to 2013: Master’s student, Northeast Normal University
• 2010 to 2011: Quality Assurance Specialist, Nile Breweries Limited

Qualifications

• PhD Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
• Pan African Thoracic Society Methods in Epidemiology Clinical and Research Operations Research (PATS MECOR Level 2), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
• M.Sc. Organic Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, China
• BSc Food Processing Technology; Kyambogo University, Uganda

Other affiliations

• 2021 to date: Honorary Visiting Fellow, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge
• 2021 to date: Bye Fellow, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge
• 2021 to date: Visiting Research Fellow, AirQo, Makerere University
• 2019: Air Quality Faculty: Pan African Thoracic Society Methods in Epidemiology Clinical and Research Operations Research (PATS MECOR)
• 2015 to 2019: Biomass Reduction and Environmental Air Towards Health Effects (BREATHE) -Africa Partnership

Funding and awards

• Climate and Health Program (PI) - 2025
• Applying transdisciplinary and youth-driven citizen science for a healthy and climate resilient Lagos (Co-PI) 2025
• Fundamentals of Air Quality in African Cities: An Introduction to air quality management for city decision makers (PI) 2025
• Applying transdisciplinary and youth-driven citizen science to address air pollution and create healthy climate resilient cities (Co-I) 2024
• Sector Strategy for Organic Waste Management (Co-I) 2024
• Exploring the potential health impacts of electrifying of two-wheelers in Kampala, Uganda (PI) 2023
• Air Quality and Non-communicable Diseases Fellowship Extension (PI) 2023
• The National Research Council (NERC) Impact Grant: Discipline Hoping (DH) for Environmental Solutions Application (PI) 2021
• Air Quality and Non-communicable Diseases Fellowship (PI) 2020
• Systems of Cities: Urban Mobility in Kampala and its Surrounding Areas (PI) 2020
• Understanding Household Fuel Transitions: The Case of Namuwongo (Kampala). Collaboration study between ACCA, ACTogether, EASE Women’s enterprise and University of Birmingham (PI) 2019
• PATS MECOR Small grant. 2019. Determining the level of exposure to ambient air pollution among urban traffic-junction officers in Kampala, Uganda
• BREATHE Small Awards 2018: Effect of cooking behaviour on exposure to household air pollution from different cooking fuels (PI)
• Biomass Reduction and Environmental Air Towards Health Effects in Africa – BREATHE Partnership. MRC, UK. (Postgraduate Researcher) 2016
• UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Clean Start.
• Value addition in milk production using renewable energy. United States Africa Development Fund (Co-PI). 2015