Research Professor | Chinese Academy of Sciences | China
Dr. Lijian Han is an internationally recognized research professor whose pioneering work has significantly advanced the understanding of urbanization and its environmental health consequences, particularly in the domain of air pollution as a global disease risk. With a Ph.D. from Tottori University and over a decade of professional experience at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has developed innovative approaches to quantify, model, and interpret the trade-offs between rapid urban development and environmental quality. His research integrates satellite and ground-based data, near-surface dynamics, and long-term national datasets to construct accurate, multi-scale PM2.5 exposure assessments, leading to novel composite air pollution indices that reveal the dominance of compound pollution risks, particularly from PM2.5 and O₃. Academically, he has published 85 journal papers, including more than 30 as first author, with multiple ESI top 1% highly cited articles in leading outlets such as Bulletin of the World Health Organization, IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, and Earth’s Future. His scientific contributions include developing global-to-local PM2.5 assessment frameworks, quantifying anthropogenic versus meteorological drivers of pollution, identifying the mismatch between urban vegetation purification capacity and peak pollution periods, and establishing policy-relevant PM2.5 thresholds that have been directly adopted by Shenzhen’s Environmental Protection Bureau in its Sustainable Development Blueprint (2020–2035). His work is highly cited, with over 5,000 citations and an H-index of 33, reflecting both academic excellence and global relevance. Beyond academia, Dr. Han’s research has shaped national and international discourse, being highlighted in Science and Technology Daily, Xinhua Digest, and Yale Environment 360, and earning recognition from the U.S. Department of State through diplomatic exchange invitations. By bridging cutting-edge scientific discovery with actionable policy and global health frameworks, his research exemplifies the interdisciplinary, high-impact scholarship celebrated by the Global Diseases Research Awards, making him a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award.
Profile: Google Scholar | Scopus
Featured Publications
1. Han, L., Zhou, W., Li, W., & Li, L. (2014). Impact of urbanization level on urban air quality: A case of fine particles (PM₂.₅) in Chinese cities. Environmental Pollution, 194, 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.07.022
2. Qian, Y., Zhou, W., Yan, J., Li, W., & Han, L. (2014). Comparing machine learning classifiers for object-based land cover classification using very high resolution imagery. Remote Sensing, 7(1), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs70100153
3. Zhou, W., Qian, Y., Li, X., Li, W., & Han, L. (2014). Relationships between land cover and the surface urban heat island: Seasonal variability and effects of spatial and thematic resolution of land cover data on predicting land surface temperature. Landscape Ecology, 29(1), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-013-9950-5
4. Zhang, X., Han, L., Wei, H., Tan, X., Zhou, W., Li, W., & Qian, Y. (2022). Linking urbanization and air quality together: A review and a perspective on the future sustainable urban development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 346, 130988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130988
5. Han, L., Zhou, W., & Li, W. (2015). City as a major source area of fine particulate (PM₂.₅) in China. Environmental Pollution, 206, 183–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.06.002