About

Dr. Ashish Sharma is the Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead at the Discovery Partners Institute, University of Illinois System, and a graduate faculty member in the Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a joint appointment as an Atmospheric Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and is the Director of the NSF-UKRI joint-funded Global Center on Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions (CLEETS). Dr. Sharma completed his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University and has expertise in atmospheric sciences, focusing on regional climate, air quality, and assessing adaptation and mitigation strategies. His research involves collaborative efforts across science, engineering, social sciences, and policy to study environmental justice issues, including heat, fog, air quality, and high-impact weather. He has secured over $40 million in funding from various agencies and is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. Dr. Sharma has contributed to climate change assessments, climate action plans, and reports on resilience to extreme heat. He serves on multiple advisory committees, reviews for scientific journals, and has testified before congressional bodies on climate impacts, particularly in the Great Lakes region. His research interests include regional climate modeling, microscale climate modeling, climate adaptation and mitigation, air quality modeling, and climate policy, with additional focus on machine learning applications in environmental sciences.

Research topics

• Geology
• Environmental science
• Climatology
• Geography
• Meteorology

Selected publications

• The Role of Multidisciplinary Team Meetings in Kidney Transplant Programs

  Indian Journal of Transplantation · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Dear Sir Kidney transplantation is a highly specialized domain that requires precise coordination among multiple disciplines to achieve optimal outcomes. The multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach has emerged as a cornerstone of modern transplant medicine, ensuring that complex decisions are guided by diverse expertise and shared accountability [Table 1].Table 1: Pros of multidisciplinary team in kidney transplantationAt our tertiary care center in Northern India, we conduct weekly MDT meetings involving transplant nephrologists, transplant surgeons, immunopathologists, and transplant coordinators. During these sessions, the transplant fellow or trainee presents all complex cases that pose immunological or medical challenges to the team. Decisions are made collectively and documented systematically, ensuring transparency and continuity of care. Importantly, this model ensures that the onus of clinical judgment does not fall on any single individual, but rather reflects a shared, multidisciplinary consensus. The MDT framework offers multiple advantages across clinical, educational, and operational domains. It allows integration of clinical, surgical, and immunological perspectives, resulting in more balanced and evidence-based decision-making. From a patient care perspective, it improves coordination across the pre-, peri-, and post-transplant phases, enhances safety, and streamlines management of complications. In addition, MDT meetings foster transparent communication and mutual respect among team members, promoting shared accountability and reducing the likelihood of errors. They also serve as an educational platform for trainees, encouraging critical thinking and exposure to real-world case complexities. Institutionally, the MDT model improves workflow efficiency, supports consistent documentation, and can be effectively sustained using virtual or hybrid formats to overcome time and scheduling barriers. The MDT model has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, decision-making quality, and interdisciplinary communication while enhancing patient trust.[1–3] We therefore believe that routine, structured MDT discussions should be institutionalized as a standard of care in all kidney transplant programs. Beyond optimizing clinical results, they embody the principles of teamwork, transparency, and shared responsibility – values that are fundamental to the success of any transplant endeavor. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

  PublisherDOI

• Early Warning System for the Chicago Region and Developing Dynamic Vulnerability Metrics

  2025-05-21

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Urban environments face growing challenges from hazardous weather events and deteriorating air quality conditions, including extreme heat waves, severe storms, and elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These hazards pose serious risks to public health, infrastructure, and overall urban resilience. To address these challenges, we have developed a high-resolution early warning system tailored for the Chicago region, leveraging the fully coupled urbanized WRF-Chem (uWRF-Chem) model. This system provides 48-hour forecasts of key meteorological variables along with air pollutant concentrations, including PM and carbon monoxide (CO), at an unprecedented 100-meter resolution. Urban land-use representation is enhanced through a newly developed CGLC–MODIS–LCZ hybrid dataset, while the Building Effect Parameterization (BEP) scheme is employed to account for urban morphology and its impact on atmospheric processes. The system was operationally tested and evaluated from August 13 to September 13, 2024, successfully capturing a late-August heat wave, demonstrating its capability to predict extreme weather and air quality conditions in complex urban settings. These forecasts offer a valuable tool for public health advisories, emergency response, and urban planning. Additionally, we are developing dynamic vulnerability metrics to enhance early warnings, with initial results highlighting key exposure risk metrics. These metrics aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how different populations and urban systems are affected by extreme weather and air quality events.

  PublisherDOI

• Sensitivity of regional WRF-Chem air quality and climate simulations to biomass-burning emission datasets: a case study of the impact of Canadian wildfire on the US

  2025-03-29

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  This study focuses on the period from June 26 to 29, 2023, when record-breaking Canadian wildfires severely impacted air quality in the Midwest U.S. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and four biomass-burning datasets (FINN v1, FINN v2.5, QFED, and RAVE), we analyzed aerosol transport from Canada to the US and assessed the model’s accuracy in predicting PM2.5, O3, CO and aerosol climate feedback. Model simulations were compared with ground-based and remote sensing observations, as well as field measurements. Our findings show that the movement of a low-pressure system from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, combined with the high-pressure system over the Atlantic, caused the transport of aerosols from Canadian wildfires to the US. Results show WRF-Chem significantly underestimated key atmospheric components: aerosol optical depth (AOD) by over 50%, PM2.5 by 65-90%, and peak O3 concentrations by 50-55% across four biomass burning datasets. Additionally, CO and NO2 concentrations were underpredicted. The substantial underestimation of PM2.5 led to an overestimation of temperature by up to 3.6°C, primarily due to excessive downward shortwave radiation, which resulted from the underestimation of direct aerosol effects and an increase in sensible heat flux. Among the biomass-burning datasets, QFED produced the most accurate AOD and PM2.5 predictions due to improved wildfire emission estimates, leading to a 1.0 to 1.5°C reduction in temperature overestimation during the daytime. These findings underscore the need for improving wildfire emission estimates for trace gases and aerosols to enhance air quality and climate feedback predictions.

  PublisherDOI

• Stealth Nanoparticle Formulation of Rifampicin Using PEGylated Chitosan for Enhanced Pulmonary Retention and Reduced Systemic Toxicity

  2025-12-08

  articleOpen access

  Background:The treatment of tuberculosis (TB) necessitates continuous and frequent administration of multiple pharmacological agents, posing significant challenges related to patient adherence as a primary disadvantage.Objectives: The current research endeavor was directed towards the formulation and evaluation of Rifampicin (RIF) stealth nanoparticles designed to enhance circulation duration (Stealth) while mitigating systemic toxicity.Methods: The ionic gelation technique was employed to fabricate nanoparticles using specifically engineered carriers, including chitosan (CS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with molecular weights of 4000, 6000, and 9000, for the encapsulation of RIF.The synthesized nanoparticles underwent comprehensive characterization, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to assess drug-polymer compatibility, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology and particle size analysis, zeta potential measurements to determine surface charge, as well as evaluations of drug content, in vitro release profiles, stability assessments, and drug deposition studies.Results: The physicochemical properties and surface characteristics of the chitosan-rifampicin (CS-RIF) stealth nanoparticles exhibited alterations post-PEG incorporation, resulting in increased particle size and enhanced drug encapsulation efficiency.Notably, the PEG-coated CS-RIF nanoparticles demonstrated significantly prolonged retention in circulation when juxtaposed with unmodified RIF powder.Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy analyses corroborated the absence of any interaction between the drug and the polymer matrix.Particle size characterization indicated that the optimized RIF stealth nanoparticles exhibited dimensions ranging from 58.75 to 493.4 nm, with entrapment efficiencies recorded between 70.5 and 90.71%.The cumulative percentage of in vitro drug release was observed to lie between 65.81 and 85.17% over 12 hours.The release kinetics adhered to a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism across all experimental batches, and stability studies confirmed the robustness of the formulated nanoparticles.In vivo drug deposition investigations conducted on Wistar albino rats revealed a significantly reduced accumulation in hepatic and renal tissues relative to the free drug, attributable to the PEG coating. Conclusion:The overarching objective of this study, which is to diminish toxicity while augmenting the retention time of the drug within the biological system, can be effectively realized through the application of CS-RIF stealth nanoparticles.

  PublisherDOI

• Urban climate science needs to step out

  Nature Cities · 2025-06-11 · 2 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Nature-based solutions: an effective approach for flood mitigation and resilience in the Quad Cities in future climate

  Hydrological Sciences Journal · 2025-09-22 · 1 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Flooding, a major global climate hazard, increasingly threatens urban and low-income regions due to intensified rainfall from climate change. This study focuses on the Quad Cities – Davenport, Iowa; Bettendorf, Iowa; Moline, Illinois; and Rock Island, Illinois – to assess evolving flood risks and the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NbS). Using CMIP6 climate models, 26 models were statistically downscaled with bicubic spline interpolation and bias corrected using empirical quantile mapping (EQM). MIROC6 was selected for its superior performance (RMSE ~14%, NSE ~0.68) when compared with US Geological Survey (USGS) raingage data. Downscaled precipitation data were ingested into SWMM+HECRAS to simulate runoff and flooding. Results reveal that NbS such as infiltration trenches, permeable pavements, and rooftop disconnections can reduce runoff by up to 37% in Rock Island and 14–30% in Davenport and Bettendorf, lowering peak runoff by 19% during extreme events. The findings guide climate-resilient urban planning and sustainable stormwater management in the face of future climate variability.

  PublisherDOI

• Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Digital Twin for U.S. Cities

  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society · 2025-09-18 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Advancing Urban Water Resilience: Coproducing Knowledge through Civic–Academic Global Partnerships on Water and Climate

  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society · 2025-04-15 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  What: This 3-day in-person and online gathering brought together more than 40 international experts from five US and European megacities to discuss urban water and climate issues and pathways for partnerships to learn from their peers and develop solutions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sensitivity of Regional WRF‐Chem Air Quality and Weather Simulations to Biomass‐Burning Emission Data Sets: A Case Study of the Impact of Canadian Wildfire on the US

  Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · 2025-11-21

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract This study focuses on the period from June 26 to 29, 2023, when record‐breaking Canadian wildfires severely impacted air quality in the Midwest United States. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) and four biomass‐burning data sets (Fire Inventory from NCAR version 1, Fire Inventory from NCAR version 2.5, Quick Fire Emissions Data set [QFED], and Regional ABI‐VIIRS Emission), we analyzed aerosol transport from Canada to the US and assessed the model's accuracy in predicting , , and aerosol weather feedback. Model simulations were compared with ground‐based and remote sensing observations as well as field measurements from the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) project. Our findings show that the movement of a low‐pressure system from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, combined with the high‐pressure system over the Atlantic, caused the transport of aerosols from Canadian wildfires to the US. Results show WRF‐Chem significantly underestimated key atmospheric components: aerosol optical depth (AOD) by over 50%, by 65%–90% and peak concentrations by 50%–55% across four biomass burning data sets. Additionally, CO and concentrations were underpredicted. The substantial underestimation of led to an overestimation of temperature by up to 3.6C primarily due to excessive downward shortwave radiation, which resulted from the underestimation of direct aerosol effects and an increase in sensible heat flux. Among the biomass‐burning data sets, QFED produced the most accurate AOD and predictions due to improved wildfire emission estimates, leading to a 1.0 to 1.5C reduction in temperature overestimation during the daytime. These findings underscore the need for improving wildfire emission estimates for trace gases and aerosols to enhance air quality and weather feedback predictions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparing multi-source urban flood indicators: satellite, simulation, and citizen-reported data

  Environmental Research Water · 2025-09-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Urban flooding arises from complex mechanisms, making it challenging to capture accurately with a single detection method. This study evaluates three complementary approaches to detect flooding across three Chicago neighborhoods: (i) Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR), offering weather-independent, high-resolution (10 m) imagery of surface inundation; (ii) the storm water management model (SWMM), simulating combined sewer overflow and drainage performance; and (iii) citizen-generated 311 service requests, capturing observed flooding impacts. By analyzing six storms ranging from severe to mild, we examine how each source uniquely contributes to identifying urban flood events. SAR imagery effectively identifies standing water but can miss brief flooding due to satellite revisit constraints. SWMM provides detailed insights into system-wide drainage behavior yet may underestimate localized street-level flooding. Meanwhile, 311 calls reflect real-world flooding impacts but are vulnerable to underreporting. Statistical overlap analysis highlights chronic flood hotspots repeatedly identified across multiple detection methods, indicating persistent infrastructure and topographic vulnerabilities. Temporal analysis further reveals that while SWMM flooding aligns closely with rainfall peaks, 311 calls typically precede or persist beyond these peaks. Our findings emphasize the value of using satellite observations, hydrological modeling, and resident-reported data in a complementary manner to better interpret patterns in flood timing, severity, and spatial distribution—providing insights that can inform targeted infrastructure improvements and contribute to urban flood resilience planning.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• International partnerships for accelerating climate-ready, sustainable, and clean urban transportation

  NSF · $1.5M · 2023–2026

• Global Centers Track 1: CLEETS - CLean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions

  NSF · $5.0M · 2023–2028

• Collaborative Research: Interactions of Urban Systems with Storms and Heatwaves, and Resulting Impacts

  NSF · $673k · 2022–2026

Frequent coauthors

• Peiyuan Li

  University of Illinois Chicago

  86 shared

• Donald J. Wuebbles

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  60 shared

• Zhi‐Hua Wang

  Arizona State University

  38 shared

• David A. R. Kristovich

  Illinois Archaeological Survey

  27 shared

• George S. Young

  The Francis Crick Institute

  25 shared

• Eugene S. Takle

  Iowa State University

  25 shared

• Harindra J. S. Fernando

  University of Notre Dame

  18 shared

• Alan F. Hamlet

  University of Notre Dame

  14 shared

Labs

• Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric SciencesPI

Awards & honors

• Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society (2016-present)
• Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 Climate Leadership Awar…
• DOE urban IFL project CROCUS team was awarded the Chicago Co…
• The Strategic Plan Award at the American Planning Associatio…
• State or Regional Award of Merit in Sustainability at the Ni…