Generating, using and sharing air quality data

My research career has focused on air pollution, behaviour change and public health. I have more than 30 academic publications (first author papers: 11, citations: 927, h-index: 17) over a range of environment and health topics including environmental epidemiology, exposure science and intervention development.

Selected publications

  • Dudman K, Schulte K, Dobson R. Update air quality management to support meaningful public participation, Communications Earth and Environment, 2025; https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02818-9

  • Dobson R, O’Donnell R, McGibbon M, Semple S. Second-hand Smoke Exposure Among Home Care Workers (HCWs) in Scotland, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 2022; https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxac066 

  • Dobson R, Eadie D, O’Donnell R, et al. Changes in Personal Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) during the Spring 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK: Results of a Simulation Model. Atmosphere. 2022; 13(2):273. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020273

  • Dobson R, Demou E, Semple S. Occupational Exposure to Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke: Development of a Job Exposure Matrix. Annals of Work Exposures and Health 2021. doi:10.1093/annweh/wxab019

  • Dobson R, Siddiqi K, Ferdous T, et al. Diurnal variability of fine-particulate pollution concentrations: Data from 14 low- and middle-income countries. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 2021;25:206–14. doi:10.5588/IJTLD.20.0704

  • Dobson R, Semple S. Changes in outdoor air pollution due to COVID-19 lockdowns differ by pollutant: evidence from Scotland. Occup Environ Med 2020;0  doi:10.1136/oemed-2020-106659

  • Demou E, Dobson R, Sweeting H, et al. From smoking-permitted to smokefree prisons: a 3-year evaluation of the changes in occupational exposure to second-hand smoke across a national prison system. Ann Work Expo Heal 2020. doi:10.1093/annweh/wxaa073

  • Dobson R, O’Donnell R, Tigova O, et al. Measuring for change: A multi-centre pre-post trial of an air quality feedback intervention to promote smoke-free homes. Environ Int 2020;140:105738. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105738

Please see my Google Scholar profile for further details (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5UGi3AIAAAAJ).

Research funding

  • ScoilAer: Clean Air Routes for Schools in Waterford. IMPETUS/European Commission (€19,500)

  • Staying smoke-free: Maximising the public health benefits of smoke-free prisons (PHR 2021). National Institutes of Health Research (£577,194.40) [co-investigator]

  • Cleaning the Air Better Indoors for Newborns: GCRF Networking Grant (2021 round 7). Academy of Medical Sciences (£25,000) [principal investigator]

  • Assessing the feasibility of using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to enable disadvantaged parents to create smoke-free homes. Scottish Government (£20,000) [co-investigator]

  • Identifying second-hand smoke in homes in Israel: Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship (2017 round 9), Academy of Medical Sciences (£3,000) [principal investigator]