Thomas Astell-Burt
Thomas Astell-Burt is a researcher and epidemiologist with a long-standing interest in the relationship between nature and human health, especially on the potential of green space to enrich environments for prevention of noncommunicable diseases like Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes mellitus. His research is located at the interface between population, wellbeing and environmental studies. He is a professor of Population Health and Environmental Data Science and the Founding Co-Director of the Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (www.PowerLab.site). Along with researcher Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas co-authored an article in The Conversation on how, as city makers, we have been building for loneliness through “lonelygenic environments,” a term coined by the researchers. Thomas and Xiaoqi propose that quality urban green spaces may offer a solution to urban loneliness.