Jianghan Tian is a Research Fellow in Bioaerosol Characterisation at the University of Hertfordshire. She holds a PhD in Aerosol Science (Physical Chemistry) from the University of Bristol, with a background in measuring the chemical and microphysical properties of exhaled aerosols and bioaerosol detection. Her research on COVID-19 has been widely cited and internationally recognised.

What are you working on as part of the Hub?

I am passionate about studying aerosols because they have a profound impact on public health. As part of the Hub, my research focuses on the detection and characterisation of bioaerosols from various sources. Understanding their physicochemical and fluorescence properties is crucial for improving detection methods, which in turn helps shape regulatory policies and occupational health guidelines. By advancing our understanding my work aims to enhance bioaerosol sampling, detection, and diagnostic technologies, ultimately contributing to more effective disease surveillance and early-warning systems.

What is exciting you the most about your current research? 

What excites me most is the opportunity to unravel the complex behaviour of exhaled and environmental bioaerosols and translate that understanding into practical detection technologies. There is a need to develop more sensitive and accurate bioaerosol detection systems, which could revolutionise pathogen monitoring, disease surveillance, and early-warning systems. The prospect of seeing this research directly influence public health policies, workplace safety, and real-time detection technologies is incredibly exciting. Additionally, the interdisciplinary nature of this work keeps me constantly learning and collaborating across different fields, which makes the research even more rewarding.

What difference do you hope your research will make?

I hope my research will contribute to more effective bioaerosol detection technologies, ultimately improving public health, disease surveillance, and workplace safety. A key goal is to improve the ability to rapidly and accurately identify airborne pathogens, which could lead to earlier detection of infectious diseases, better outbreak control, and more evidence-based regulatory guidelines for occupational health. Additionally, my research could help optimise real-time biosensing technologies, making them more reliable for use in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and biodefense.

What are you most proud of in your research career?

One of the achievements I am most proud of is my research being cited in the recent WHO consultation report on airborne disease transmission. My findings on the humidity and pH response of exhaled aerosols provided key evidence explaining the infectivity decay of SARS-CoV-2 in the air.

As part of this, I am preparing a manuscript that will be the first study to reveal the timescale of pH changes in exhaled respiratory aerosols. This research highlights the importance of understanding the dynamic physicochemical processes that influence aerosol behaviour, which is crucial for improving bioaerosol detection, disease transmission models, and public health interventions.