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[The CIVIS Newsroom ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) 2. UNIL, UofG and Makerere rethink breathing in a changing world with Exp-Air Lab, powered by CIVIS UNIL, UofG and Makerere rethink breathing in a changing world with Exp-Air Lab, powered by CIVIS ================================================================================================== CIVIS Highlights 8 May 2025 With the support of CIVIS Seed Funding for Research, Dr Nolwenn Bühler from UNIL is developing a transdisciplinary approach to respiratory health, combining environmental justice with scientific and technological issues. Driven by a central question - *what is breathing properly today, and how?* - she has developed a project exploring the challenges of respiratory health in a world in climate crisis. ![](/storage/files/expair-may3.jpeg) ©UNIL As an anthropologist of science and technology, Dr Nolwenn Bühler has long been interested in the connections between health, the environment and society. After a thesis on reproductive technologies, followed by a post-doctorate on the links between health and the environment in the context of personalised health, she focused on an area of research that seems as simple as it is essential: breathing. As part of the CIVIS project, she is working in collaboration with two cities with contrasting ecological and socio-political contexts: **Glasgow** in Scotland, and **Kampala** in Uganda, where two other CIVIS Universities, UofG and Makerere, are located. This choice is based on the synergies between universities, researchers and local authorities that is fostered by CIVIS. "*Air knows no borders. Working in cities with different histories, in contrasting ecosystems, was essential"*, she emphasises. A project combining research, fieldwork and collaboration --------------------------------------------------------- ![](/storage/files/expair-may1.jpg) ©UNIL A workshop organised at Makerere University (Kampala), brought together experts from a variety of disciplines - medicine, statistics, social sciences - as well as representatives from the world of politics, associations and the environment. Together, they mapped local initiatives, identified research needs and explored concrete avenues for action. ![](/storage/files/expair-may2.jpeg) ©UNIL Following this meeting, field visits were organised. These enabled Nolwenn Bühler and her colleague from Glasgow, Craig Anderson, to talk to engineers developing 3D-printed fine particle sensors, and to discover digital tools for monitoring air quality in real time. But for Nolwenn Bühler, the issue goes beyond technology: > *What interests me is what happens to this data. Who produces it, what exactly is being measured, how it circulates and what stories it tells about pollution and health",* says Dr Nolwenn Bühler. A boost at a key career moment ------------------------------ For Dr Bühler, CIVIS's support provided the boost needed to structure an ambitious research project and enhance its relevance. The researcher also highlights the truly human aspect of this adventure: > *I was impressed by the organisation of the team there, the richness of the exchanges and the openness. That's what CIVIS is all about: an alliance that supports researchers at every stage of their journey. This type of funding increases the credibility of a project. It shows that you've already established contacts, that you're rooted in the field. And personally, it gave me the confidence and motivation I needed at a time when I was sometimes discouraged",* emphasised Bühler. The [Seed Funding for research Call](https://civis.eu/en/teach/civis-calls/previous-civis-calls-for-academics-and-researchers-1) is open until 31 May 2025. **Find out more about Dr. Bühler's project from the [original story, in French](https://www.unil.ch/news/fr/1744650829451), written by Solenne Piaget-Rossel.** ### Latest Highlights: *[The saltwater tolerance is what kept the dinosaur-eating giant crocodile alive, UT-led study reveals](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/the-saltwater-tolerance-is-what-kept-the-dinosaur-eating-giant-crocodile-alive-ut-led-study-reveals)* *[aMU delves into the colonial history of Marseille aboard the Mars Imperium portal](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/amu-delves-into-the-colonial-history-of-marseille-aboard-the-mars-imperium-portal)* [*Why do Spaniards feel lonely? A UAM-led study tells us*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/why-do-spaniards-feel-lonely-a-uam-led-study-tells-us) [*University of Salzburg celebrates cultural monument conservation success*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/university-of-salzburg-celebrates-cultural-monument-conservation-success) [*UNIL seizes the opportunity offered by CIVIS Seed Funding to facilitate access to university for migrants*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/unil-seizes-civis-seed-funding-opportunities-to-facilitate-access-to-university-for-migrants) Related news ------------ - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/civis-coms-unit-casablanca-4-800x600.jpg?token=852ccbd6465c7ebee1f78f93221e7910)Facing Common Challenges, Shaping Joint Solutions for Africa and Europe Associate Member Universities in Africa 31 March 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/facing-common-challenges-shaping-joint-solutions-for-africa-and-europe) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/unil-march-800x600.jpg?token=d8f751c5dd64924dd2e37edbb187d325)The Swiss ski mountaineering team, supported by UNIL's researchers for this year's Olympic Games CIVIS Highlights 3 March 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/the-swiss-ski-mountaineering-team-supported-by-unil-s-researchers-for-this-year-s-olympic-games) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/the-800x600.jpg?token=093ed83bda03945717bc4b6f81b3ec67)Improvements for UofG in THE Subject Rankings 2026 CIVIS Highlights 26 February 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/improvements-for-uofg-in-the-subject-rankings-2026) [Discover all our stories](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) [ University of Bucharest rallies presidential candidates to defend Romania’s Euro-Atlantic path in historic call for democracy ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/university-of-bucharest-rallies-presidential-candidates-to-defend-romania-s-euro-atlantic-path-in-historic-call-for-democracy >) [ The saltwater tolerance is what kept the dinosaur-eating giant crocodile alive, UT-led study reveals ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/the-saltwater-tolerance-is-what-kept-the-dinosaur-eating-giant-crocodile-alive-ut-led-study-reveals >) ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe’s Civic University Alliance ![Co-funded by the European Union](https://civis.eu/build/assets/co-funded-by-the-european-union-DSKLW1us.png)Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 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