A new research project led by Dr Michal Shimonovich will assess how household energy efficiency improvements impact the health of Scotland’s youngest and oldest residents.

Backed by a £356,905 grant from the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme and supported by the University’s Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Leadership Fellowship, the study will focus on the co-health benefits of government-backed energy efficiency measures (EEMs) such as insulation upgrades, new heating systems, and renewable technologies.

While such measures are primarily aimed at reducing carbon emissions and fuel poverty, they are increasingly linked to health outcomes. However, evidence on their true health impacts remains limited and inconsistent—particularly for vulnerable groups like children under five and adults over 65, who spend more time indoors and are especially susceptible to poor housing conditions.

Dr Shimonovich’s project, titled ‘Harnessing linked address-level property and individual-level health datasets to explore the relationship between homes, households and health’, will use cutting-edge natural experimental methods and Scotland’s advanced administrative data infrastructure to assess outcomes related to child development, cardiovascular health, and injury prevention.

The research will also be supported by a new health and housing research network, with an emphasis on engagement and future use of linked datasets to inform better policy decisions.

This interdisciplinary project highlights the growing recognition of housing as a key determinant of health and aims to inform future interventions that promote both environmental and human wellbeing.

Link to award: Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards 2024-25 | The British Academy

First published: 14 October 2025

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