Haneen Khreis

• PhD
• Senior Research Associate at University of Cambridge

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neurone disease (MND) are progressive and debilitating diseases that are increasing in prevalence globally. Some primary studies show an increased risk from long-term outdoor air pollution exposure, while others contradict this association. Methods As per Khreis et al. ¹ protoc...

The Integrated Transport and Health Impact Modelling Tool for Global Cities (ITHIM-Global) was developed as an open-source tool to assess the impacts of transport mode shifts on public health and the environment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the need for such assessment is urgent and rising. The model simulates the impacts on al...

Recent advances in data science and urban environmental health research utilise large-scale databases (100s–1000s of cities) to explore the complex interplay of urban characteristics such as city form and size, climate, mobility, exposure, and environmental health impacts. Cities are still hotspots of air pollution and noise, suffer urban heat isla...

Many cities seek to change their transport systems to reduce negative outcomes. This generally involves measures supporting active and public transport, restricting vehicle use. Infrastructure modification and legislative developments are often perceived as ‘attacks’, and lead to resistance by specific groups. This paper uses critical discourse ana...

Background As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, there is recognition that public and planetary health relies upon a ubiquitous transition to sustainable cities. Disentanglement of the complex pathways of urban design, environmental exposures, and health, and the magnitude of these associations, remains a challenge. A state-of-the-art accoun...

Background Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensiv...

The community and ecological benefits of trees and forests along roadways and other transportation infrastructure are important. Historically, the dialogue surrounding trees in transportation systems has focused on safety and crash reduction. We propose the sub-field of “Transportation Forestry” to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of tr...

Introduction Emerging evidence suggests association of air pollution exposure with risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but many of these findings are limited by study design, lack of individual-level covariate data or are specific to certain subpopulations. We aim to evaluate causal effects of air pollution on risk of infection, whilst overcoming these l...

Ambient air pollution is a major public health concern and comprehensive new legislation is currently being considered to improve air quality in Europe. The European Respiratory Society (ERS), Health Effects Institute (HEI), and International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) organised a joint meeting on May 24, 2023 in Brussels, Belgiu...

Background: Ambient air pollution is a major risk to health and wellbeing in European cities. We aimed to estimate spatial and sector-specific contributions of emissions to ambient air pollution and evaluate the effects of source-specific reductions in pollutants on mortality in European cities to support targeted source-specific actions to addres...

Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CR...

Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CR...

Summary Background Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burd...

Background: Urban areas are hot spots for human exposure to air pollution, which originates in large part from traffic. As the urban population continues to grow, a greater number of people risk exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and its adverse, costly health effects. In many cities, there is a need and scope for air quality improve...

Background Ambient air pollution is a pervasive and ubiquitous hazard, which has been linked to premature morbidity and a growing number of morbidity endpoints. Air pollution may be linked to neurodegeneration, and via this or other pathways, to neurodegenerative diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution may contribute to neurodegener...

Key messages: -Transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and an important determinant of population health -A rapid transition to electric vehicles is needed but will not on its own solve transport related health problems or achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions fast enough -A holistic approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions cau...

Active transportation could be an effective way to promote healthy physical activity, especially during pandemics like COVID-19. A comprehensive evaluation of health outcomes derived from COVID-19 induced active transportation can assist multiple stakeholders in revisiting strategies and priorities for supporting active transportation during and be...

Purpose of review In this paper, we seek to elucidate the impact of car-free days and events on human health. Car-free days and events are often designed to alleviate the impact of transportation-related air pollution, noise, physical inactivity, traffic congestion, or other detrimental externalities of private motor vehicle travel. We reviewed exi...

The emergence of low-cost air quality sensors may improve our ability to capture variations in urban air pollution and provide actionable information for public health. Despite the increasing popularity of low-cost sensors, there remain some gaps in the understanding of their performance under real-world conditions, as well as compared to regulator...

Introduction Cities have long been known to be society’s predominant engine of innovation and wealth creation, yet they are also hotspots of pollution and disease partly due to current urban and transport practices. The aim of the European Urban Burden of Disease project is to evaluate the health burden and its determinants related to current and f...

Prior studies show that the Built Environment (BE) can influence route and mode choice, increasing the uptake of active modes and reducing car dominance. One of the main challenges in establishing such relationships between the BE and travel behaviour is the unavailability of micro-scale BE data. This study presents a methodology for harmonising an...

Introduction Automated vehicle (AV) technologies are one of the most highly disruptive transportation technologies that have the potential to transform the existing transportation systems and the associated impacts on public health and health equity. There have been numerous attempts to recognize and frame the consequences of AVs on public health;...

Background: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) refers to the wide range of air pollutants emitted by traffic that are dispersed into the ambient air. Emerging evidence shows that TRAP can increase asthma incidence in children. Living with asthma can carry a huge financial burden for individuals and families due to direct and indirect medical exp...

Automated Vehicles (AVs) have the potential to improve traffic safety by preventing crashes. The safety implications of AVs can vary across communities with different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. In this study, we proposed a framework to quantify the potential safety implications of AVs in terms of preventable crashes and fataliti...

Transportation has been linked to several adverse health impacts, with a large, but modifiable, burden of disease. In this work, researchers conceptualized and documented the linkages between transportation and health. Following that, the researchers quantified the impacts of transportation on health in a case study in Houston, Texas, that focused...

Introduction Transportation is an integral part of our daily lives, giving us access to people, education, jobs, services, and goods. Our transportation choices and patterns are influenced by four interrelated factors: the land use and built environment, infrastructure, available modes, and emerging technologies/disruptors. These factors influence...

Cities and their transportation systems have been profoundly changed and shaped by cars. The car is an important part of almost every transportation system that has brought increased access, mobility and convenience, and increased employment opportunities and economic growth. However, car traffic has resulted in, for example high air pollution and...

Researchers in the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH) have developed a cross-disciplinary course titled Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Human Exposures, and Health. A Tier-1 University Transportation Center program, CARTEEH is funded by the U...

Global health threats including epidemics and climate change, know no political borders and require regional collaboration if they are to be dealt with effectively. This paper starts with a review of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, Palestine and Jordan, in the context of the regional health systems, demography and politics. We suggest that Israel...

Cities in regions including the Middle East can use a variety of approaches to promote wellbeing among the people who live and work there despite dryness and heat, write Maya Negev and colleagues

Background: Burden of disease (BoD) assessments typically rely on national-level incidence rates for the health outcomes of interest. The impact of using a constant national-level incidence rate, versus a more granular spatially varying rate, remains unknown and understudied in the literature. There has been an increasing number of publications es...

The Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health has developed a unique, cross-disciplinary course titled Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Emissions, Human Exposures, and Health. The course is intended to form the basis for a three-credit-hour graduate-level course offered by consortium member institutions and targete...

Transport is one of the few sectors of the economy that is continuing to see greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions grow in a majority of nations in both the Global North and Global South. With urbanization continuing, low carbon urban transport policies (LCUTP) are therefore critical for preventing dangerous climate change effects. At the same time, LCUTP...

Supporting policies are required to govern the negative consequences of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) implementation and to maximize their benefits. The first step towards formulating policies is to identify the potential impacts of AVs. While the impacts of AVs on the economy, environment, and society are well explored, the discussion around their benef...

Introduction Cities are the world’s engines of economic growth, innovation, and social change, but they are also hot spots for human exposure to air pollution, mainly originating from road traffic. As the urban population continues to grow, a greater quantity of people risk exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), and therefore also risk a...

This literature library is intended as a resource for students, researchers and practitioners interested in the area of transportation and health, especially the impact of transportation emissions and air pollution on human health. It currently contains a reference list of over 1,000 scientific studies addressing the full-chain of events between tr...

Summary Risks associated with public health have no borders, as the recent Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic developing during the course of the workshop, clearly demonstrated. Thus, the 15 challenges climate change pose to society and especially to public health can only be properly met with inter-disciplinary regional collaborations. In January 27...

Recent studies suggest that the transportation sector is a major contributor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban areas. A growing body of literature indicates PM2.5 exposure can lead to adverse health effects, and that PM2.5 concentrations are often elevated close to roadways. The transportation sector produces PM2.5 emissions from combusti...

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to shape urban life and significantly modify travel behaviors. “Autonomous technology” means technology that can drive a vehicle without active physical control or monitoring by a human operator. The first AV fleets are already in service in US cities. AVs offer a variety of automation, vehicle ownership...

Although it is well accepted that air pollution exposure exacerbates preexisting airway disease, it has not been firmly established that long-term pollution exposure increases the risk of new-onset asthma or chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD). This Workshop brought together experts on mechanistic, epidemiological, and clinical aspects of...

Pollution from multiple sources causes significant disease and death worldwide. Some sources are legacy, such as heavy metals accumulated in soils, and some are current, such as particulate matter. Because the global burden of disease from pollution is so high, it is important to identify legacy and current sources and to develop and implement effe...

With recent rapid urbanization, sustainable development is required to prevent health risks associated with adverse environmental exposures from the unsustainable development of cities. Ambient air pollution is the greatest environmental risk factor for human health and is responsible for considerable levels of mortality worldwide. Burden of diseas...

Background: Transportation systems have an essential role in satisfying individuals’ needs for mobility and accessibility. Yet, they have been linked to several adverse health impacts, with a large, but modifiable, burden of disease. Among the several transportation-related health risk factors, this study focused on transportation-related noise as...

Air pollution is associated with premature mortality and a wide spectrum of diseases. Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is one of the most concerning sources of air pollution for human exposure and health. Until TRAP levels can be significantly reduced on a global scale, there is a need for effective shorter-term strategies to prevent the advers...

Transport is an essential component of economic activity and is often envisioned as a driver for urban development and a key contributor to economic returns. Transport also has direct (negative and potentially positive) impacts on the health of a population. Transport provides many jobs, which is normally good for the income of people and their hea...

There is a vast literature on elements of the “full-chain” between traffic air pollution sources and associated health outcomes: traffic, emissions, air quality, exposures, and health impacts, in addition to technology. However, there lacked a tool to efficiently identify these articles and the elements that they addressed. The literature library d...

Air pollution is an established health concern and one of the principal causes of premature mortality and a wide range of diseases globally, with vehicle traffic being a leading contributor to this, especially in urban areas. On considering the elements of the full chain between traffic activity and health outcomes throughout this book, we showed t...

Air quality in urban areas has been a health risk for the last several decades. Urban areas are continuing to grow rapidly, increasing transportation demands. Transportation activities contribute significantly to the health burden of air pollution. Encouraging active transportation (walking, cycling, and public transportation) can vastly reduce tra...

Air pollution has been associated with numerous negative health effects such as cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. In addition, there are emerging studies linking new effects such as Arthritis, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease to air pollution. In order to accurately study and quantify these associations, air pollution must be accuratel...

The research on traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and human health has greatly evolved in the past few decades leading to improved practices and policy decision-making in many regions. Significant advances have been made including advancing the methods to assess traffic activity, vehicle emissions, air pollution, and human exposures. Furthermore...

Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous adverse health effects including premature mortality and a wide spectrum of global diseases. The transportation sector’s activity causes air pollutant emissions and elevates air pollution levels, particularly in urban areas, where most people congregate. Considering the interdisciplinary nature...

Background: Car-dependent city planning has resulted in high levels of environmental pollution, sedentary lifestyles and increased vulnerability to the effects of climate change. The Barcelona Superblock model is an innovative urban and transport planning strategy that aims to reclaim public space for people, reduce motorized transport, promote sus...

Background: Active transportation refers to any human-powered mode of transportation such as walking and biking. While sedentary lifestyle is a major cause for the increasing rate of obesity and heart diseases, active transportation can change this trend by bringing more physical activity into human lives. Transportation agencies are also actively...

Background Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution may contribute to childhood asthma development. We estimated the burden of incident childhood asthma that may be attributable to outdoor NO 2 , PM 2.5 and black carbon (BC) in Europe. Methods We combined country-level childhood incidence rates and pooled exposure-response functions with chil...

Densely populated urban areas afford an enormous opportunity for their residents to have access to a range of salutary resources, thus avoiding some of the challenges that characterize less dense communities. However, transportation often bedevils urban areas, with limited opportunities offered for urban residents to get around cities. Traffic jams...

The primary technical objective of this work was to develop a comprehensive transportation-health framework in the form of a conceptual model. The model builds on existing frameworks but is far more comprehensive and holistic, incorporating the latest research from an ever-growing literature base. Researchers from the Center for Advancing Research...

Background: Asthma is one of the leading chronic airway diseases among children in the United States (US). Emerging evidence indicates that Traffic Related Air Pollution (TRAP), as opposed to ambient air pollution, leads to the onset of childhood asthma. We estimated the number of incident asthma cases among children attributable to TRAP in the co...

Freight movement is a significant and growing contributor to transportation emissions globally. Modal shifts in freight, that is, moving freight from a higher emission mode to one associated with lower emissions, are discussed as a strategy to reduce emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, there is limited knowledge o...

Purpose of Review By 2050, 70% of the global population will live in urban areas, exposing a greater number of people to specific city-related health risks that will only be exacerbated by climate change. Two prominent health risks are poor air quality and physical inactivity. We aim to review the literature and state the best practices for clean a...

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an important tools to integrate evidence in the decision-making process, and introduce health in all policies. In urban and transport planning, HIAs have been used generally to assess qualitatively urban interventions rather than offering more useful/powerful estimations to stakeholders through quantitative approac...

Climate change is an urgent challenge that requires action at the national, regional and local levels. However, a perception that impacts on human wellbeing and the economy will only be felt in the distant future, and a belief that climate action would require reducing attention towards a host of other environmental and societal issues, stand in th...

This book has brought together people from different sectors and disciplines including urban and transport planning, environment, public health and social sciences to document how urban and transport planning and related environmental exposures affect health and what could be the solutions to create healthier cities. Although the language and termi...

Cities across the world are beginning to shift away from private cars and towards more sustainable, healthy, just and inclusive mobilities. Hamburg, Oslo and Madrid have recently announced their plans to become (partly) car free. Despite the accepted importance of moving towards such transport systems, many cities struggle with the transition towar...

The world is currently witnessing its largest urban growth in human history. Over 50% of people worldwide live in cities and this figure is estimated to increase to up to 70% over the next 20 years. Cities have long been known to be society’s predominant engine of innovation and wealth creation, but they are also a main source of pollution, crime a...

Introduction: Cities often experience high air pollution and noise levels and lack of natural outdoor environments, which may be detrimental to health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of air pollution, noise, and blue and green space on premature all-cause mortality in Barcelona using a mega cohort approach. Methods: Both men and...

Background: Cities have unique geographic, environmental and sociocultural characteristics that influence the health status of their citizens. Identification and modification of these characteristics may help to promote healthier cities. Objective: We estimated premature mortality impacts of breaching international exposure guidelines for physic...

Objective Option generation is an essential element in the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), but is also one of the areas of greatest weakness. This paper focuses on the assessment of a measure option generator as a decision-support tool to enhance the development of SUMPs. Its aim is to assess whether this option generation...

Asthma is a burdensome disease which is often cited as the most common chronic disease in childhood. Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may be an important exposure in the development of childhood asthma. However, the burden of childhood asthma attributable to TRAP is poorly documented. Using a land-use regression (LUR) model, we estimated the ch...

This volume brings together the world’s leading experts on urban and transport planning, environmental exposures, physical activity, health and health impact assessment to discuss challenges and solutions in cities. The book provides a conceptual framework and work program for actions and outlines future research needs. It presents the current evid...

Over half the population of the world live in urban areas. This means that efforts to meet human development goals and sustain economic growth must be concentrated in cities. However, the pursuit of more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable urban development is complicated by climate change, which multiplies existing environmental risks, undermine...