Dr. Said Munir | Air Quality | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Said Munir | Air Quality | Best Researcher Award

National Center for Meteorology, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Said Munir is a seasoned Air Quality and Meteorology Expert at the National Center for Meteorology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With dual nationalities (British and Pakistani) and over 20 years of international experience, he has contributed significantly to the fields of air quality monitoring, emission modeling, atmospheric chemistry, and climate impact assessment. Known for his interdisciplinary research, Dr. Munir thrives in collaborative environments and utilizes machine learning, QGIS, and R to solve complex environmental problems. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and is recognized globally for his work in both academia and public policy.

Profile

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πŸŽ“ Education

Dr. Said Munir holds a πŸŽ“ Ph.D. in Air Quality and Transport Studies from the University of Leeds, UK (2009–2013), where he conducted pioneering research on the spatial-temporal analysis of traffic-related ground-level ozone ([Link to Thesis]). He previously earned a 🌬️ Master’s degree in Air Pollution Management and Control from the University of Birmingham, UK (2008–2009), focusing his dissertation on the impact of ozone on UK agriculture. Earlier, he completed a 🌍 Master’s in Natural Resources Management at the University of Greenwich, UK (1999–2000), where he assessed atmospheric pollutants using simple methodologies. Dr. Munir began his academic journey with a 🌾 B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture from the Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan (1995–1998), graduating with First Class Honours and an impressive GPA of 3.86/4.00. His multidisciplinary education reflects a deep commitment to understanding and managing environmental challenges at the intersection of air quality, transport, and agriculture.

πŸ’Ό Experience

Dr. Said Munir is currently serving as an Air Quality and Meteorology Expert at the National Center for Meteorology, Saudi Arabia (2024–Present), where he leads national-level projects on air quality and drought variability, employing advanced modeling techniques and machine learning. Prior to this, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, UK (2021–2024), contributing to high-impact EU-funded projects such as nPETS and MODALES, focused on nanoparticle emissions, transport, and climate-health policy development. From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Munir worked as a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, UK, where he managed urban air quality sensor networks, conducted high-resolution pollution mapping, and carried out source apportionment studies, playing a key role in advancing urban environmental monitoring systems.

πŸ”¬ Research Interests

🌫️ Air Quality Monitoring & Impact Assessment

πŸ’» Machine Learning in Environmental Science

🌍 Emission & Dispersion Modeling (ADMS-Urban, Airviro)

πŸ§ͺ Atmospheric Chemistry and Receptor Modelling

πŸ›°οΈ Geospatial and Statistical Analysis (QGIS, R)

β˜€οΈ Climate Change, Drought Indices, and Environmental Policy

πŸ† Awards & Grants

Multiple national and international research grants from EU and UK agencies.

Contributor to high-impact environmental policy frameworks in Saudi Arabia and the UK.

Recognized for advancing low-cost sensor technology and nanoparticle emission mitigation.

πŸ“š Selected Publications

Munir et al. (2025) – Drought variabilities in Saudi Arabia: Spatiotemporal trends – Earth Systems and Environment.
DOI: 10.1007/s41748-025-00570-w
Cited by: 2 articles

Munir et al. (2025) – PM2.5 Variability in Saudi Arabia – Atmosphere, 16, 463.
DOI: 10.3390/atmos16040463
Cited by: 4 articles

Munir et al. (2025) – Machine Learning & Source Apportionment in Saudi Arabia – Water, Soil and Air Pollution (Under Review)
Cited by: Awaiting peer review

Munir et al. (2025) – Urban Nanoparticle Emission Modeling – Atmosphere, 16(4), 417.
DOI: 10.3390/atmos16040417
Cited by: 1 article

Al-Hajji et al. (2025) – Dust Storm Climate Study in Riyadh – Int. J. of Environment and Climate Change, 15(3): 381-99.
DOI: 10.9734/ijecc/2025/v15i34780
Cited by: 3 articles

Dr. Despoina Tounta | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Despoina Tounta | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

Despoina D. Tounta is a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. With a strong background in environmental science, disaster management, and public health, her research focuses on the interplay between climate change, pandemics, and zoonotic diseases. She has presented her work at international conferences and published in renowned scientific journals.

Profile

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πŸŽ“ Education

Despoina D. Tounta holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and Geoenvironment from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which she earned in 1991. Building on her expertise in environmental sciences, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Environmental, Disaster, and Crisis Management Strategies at the same institution, graduating in 2017. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, where her research focuses on the impact of climate change and pandemics from zoonotic diseases. Her doctoral thesis, titled β€œClimate Change and Pandemics from Zoonoses: Emerging Risks for Public Health and Strategies for Prevention in the Cyclades Island Complex,” explores the intersection of environmental changes and public health risks, with an emphasis on developing policies for disaster preparedness and mitigation.

πŸ’Ό Experience

Despoina D. Tounta has actively contributed to environmental research and disaster management through training, conferences, and presentations. In 1993, she completed specialized training in Remote Sensing at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, focusing on natural environment protection. Her expertise in disaster resilience led her to present at SafeGreece 2017 (SafeAthens), where she discussed seismic risk prevention in public buildings. In 2021, she presented her research at the International CEST Conference, exploring the impact of weather conditions on COVID-19 spread. Continuing her work on environmental health, she spoke at the Climate Crisis Conference in 2022, analyzing the link between air pollution and COVID-19 mortality. Most recently, in 2023, she participated in COMECAP 2023, where she examined the association between solar irradiance, pollution, and COVID-19 cases in Athens, further reinforcing her role in climate and public health research.

πŸ”¬ Research Interests

🌍 Climate Change & Public Health – Investigating the link between environmental factors and zoonotic disease outbreaks.

🦠 Epidemics & Pandemics – Studying the spread of infectious diseases and their correlation with weather and pollution.

🏒 Seismic Risk Prevention – Assessing non-structural vulnerability in public buildings.

πŸ“‘ Remote Sensing & Environmental Monitoring – Applying geospatial tools to analyze climate-related health risks.

πŸ† Awards & Recognitions

Speaker & Contributor at multiple international conferences on environmental hazards, pandemics, and disaster management.

Recognized Researcher for work on COVID-19, climate change, and public health strategies.

πŸ“š Publications

Human Activities and Zoonotic Epidemics: A Two-Way Relationship – The Case of the COVID-19 Pandemic

πŸ“Œ Authors: Tounta, D.D.; Nastos, P.T.; Tesseromatis, C.
πŸ“Œ Journal: Global Sustainability (2022)
πŸ“Œ Volume: 5, e19
πŸ“Œ Citations: 3

Could Saliva Play a Role in Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic?

πŸ“Œ Authors: Papadopoulou, A.; Tounta, D.; Tesseromatis, C.
πŸ“Œ Journal: Stomatologija