University of Cambridge

Professor of Sustainable Built Environment and Health

Ronita Bardhan is Professor of Sustainable Built Environment and Health at the University of Cambridge, where she leads the Cambridge Sustainable Design Group in the Department of Architecture. Bardhan is also Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. 

Bardhan’s research is at intersection of architectural engineering, data science, and public health, framing the built environment as a critical lever for precision population health. She advances data driven precision prevention through context specific and gender sensitive built environment interventions that enable anticipatory and preventative action at scale, particularly in climate vulnerable settings. Her pioneering work on gender inclusive climate adaptation is shaping policy across the Global South. She is ranked among the top 2 percent of scientists globally and was recognised as a Top 50 Women in Engineering Finalist in the United Kingdom in 2024. She is  listed among top 30 Professors in Sustainable Architecture for her work on climate-responsive and health-driven design.

Featured Research:

Li, H. et al. Cooling efficacy of trees across cities is determined by background climate, urban morphology, and tree trait. Nature Commun. Earth Environ. 5, 754 (2024).

Li, H., Bardhan, R. & Debnath, R. Heatwave interventions must reduce invisible gendered challenges in the Global South. PLOS Global Public Health 4, e0003625 (2024).

Bardhan, R., Debnath, R. & Mukherjee, B. Factor in gender to beat the heat in impoverished settlements. Nature 620, 727–727 (2023).