Assist Prof Dr. Laleh Kalankesh | Environmental Science | Women Researcher Award 

Medical science university | Iran

Dr. Laleh R. Kalankesh is an accomplished environmental health engineer and academic whose research integrates environmental engineering, public health, and environmental epidemiology, with a strong emphasis on water quality, pollution control, and human health risk assessment. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, where she is actively involved in teaching, mentoring postgraduate students, and leading multidisciplinary research projects addressing critical environmental and health challenges in Iran and comparable arid and semi-arid regions. Dr. Kalankesh earned her PhD in Environmental Health Engineering from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, where her doctoral research focused on monitoring disinfection by-products (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), in surface water, groundwater, and drinking water distribution networks. Her work also advanced membrane technology by developing graphene oxide–modified polyamide nanofiltration membranes to enhance the removal of DBPs and total organic carbon (TOC). This research built on her earlier MSc and BSc training in environmental health engineering, with a strong foundation in nanoparticle applications for wastewater treatment and heavy metal removal. Her research portfolio spans water and wastewater treatment, membrane processes, nanomaterials, air pollution, and environmental epidemiology. She has made notable contributions to understanding DBP formation and health risks, desalination using microbial desalination cells, photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, and the application of nanoparticles and composites as bactericides and adsorbents. In parallel, her epidemiological studies examine the health impacts of air pollution, meteorological factors, and socio-environmental inequalities, including contributions to large-scale Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies published in leading journals such as The Lancet Planetary Health and The Lancet Global Health. Dr. Kalankesh has authored 45 peer-reviewed publications, holds an h-index of 21, and is recognized among the world’s top 2% scientists (2025). She has served as principal investigator on numerous nationally funded research projects and is an active peer reviewer for international journals. Her innovative capacity is further reflected in a patented portable device for sterilizing fruits and vegetables. Through her interdisciplinary research and academic leadership, Dr. Kalankesh continues to contribute significantly to advancing environmental health science and evidence-based policy for sustainable development and public health protection.

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