Dr. Emily So, a Chartered Civil Engineer, leads the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment (CURBE) and specializes in Earthquake Casualty and Urban Risk Modelling Cambridge. Her research is pioneering, integrating structural engineering with epidemiology to improve casualty prediction and inform disaster policy globally. She is currently recruiting students to join her team on the major US NSF-funded project, Enhancing Earthquake Casualty Predictions.

Prof. Emily So, MEng PhD CEng FICE | Earthquake Casualty and Urban Risk Modelling Cambridge Supervisor

• Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering (on sabbatical for 2025-2026)
• University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment (CURBE)

Quick Profile Summary

Introduction and Research Niche

Professor Emily So is a Chartered Civil Engineer and the Director of the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment (CURBE). Her unique research niche lies at the critical intersection of structural engineering and public health, focusing specifically on Earthquake Casualty and Urban Risk Modelling Cambridge. She employs a deeply cross-disciplinary approach that combines geotechnical and structural expertise with epidemiological understanding, historical context, and social science to quantify and mitigate the catastrophic risks posed by natural hazards globally.

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Professor So’s expertise is internationally recognized; she sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), providing vital scientific and technical advice directly to the UK Government’s Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR). Her collaborative work, which includes being part of the World Building of the Year 2017 design team for seismic-safe housing in China, demonstrates a commitment to translating research into tangible, real-world improvements for vulnerable communities.

Her defining monograph, Why Do Buildings Collapse in Earthquakes?: Building for Safety in Seismic Areas (2021), co-authored with Robin Spence, explores the essential design principles and social challenges required to protect lives, driven by her core motivation: saving lives from the devastating impacts of earthquakes.

Graduate Research Opportunities (For Prospective Students)

We are actively recruiting ambitious PhD and MPhil students to join a high-impact research program dedicated to reducing global disaster risk. We seek candidates from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including Civil Engineering, Public Health, Geography, Data Science, Epidemiology, and relevant Social Sciences. Opportunities focus on advancing socio-technical resilience through funded projects:

1. Major Grant Project: Enhancing Earthquake Casualty Predictions (2024-2027)

This US NSF-funded project offers unparalleled opportunities to develop novel modeling frameworks that move beyond structural damage. Students will have the chance to work with unique datasets, integrating epidemiological models with local human-building dynamics to refine casualty estimation. Specific research questions could involve developing dynamic vulnerability functions, assessing human behavior during seismic events, or testing new statistical models for real-time loss prediction.

2. Core Research Stream: Cross-Disciplinary Casualty Estimation and Mitigation

This research stream focuses on the philosophical and methodological challenges of integrating physical and social sciences in disaster risk. Students will explore the interplay between physical environment, current social structures, and historical/cultural contexts that dictate vulnerability. Work may involve historical disaster analysis, developing new methodologies for risk communication, or translating complex urban risk modeling outputs into actionable policy advice.

3. Interdisciplinary Focus: Earth Observation and Spatiotemporal Modelling

This area leverages the recent advances in Earth Observation (EO) and deep learning. Opportunities involve utilizing remote sensing data (TanDEM-X, Sentinel-2) to characterize urban morphology, map built-up height and density, and model urban expansion using advanced techniques like Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models. This is ideal for students interested in large-area, data-intensive analysis of exposure and vulnerability in earthquake-prone regions (e.g., Lima, Peru, or Santiago de Chile).

Key Awards and Fellowships

Selected Publications

Monograph (2021): Why Do Buildings Collapse in Earthquakes?: Building for Safety in Seismic Areas. Wiley-Blackwell.

Monograph (2016): Estimating Fatality Rates for Earthquake Loss Models (SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences).

Journal Article (2025): “Review: Alternative data collection and analysis methods for disaster reconnaissance.” Bull Earthquake Eng 23, 4975–4979.

Journal Article (2024): “Simulating urban expansion with interpretable cycle recurrent neural networks.” GIScience & Remote Sensing 61.

Journal Article (2022): “Data and its role in reducing the risk of disasters in the built environment.” Nat Hazards.

Contact Information

Prospective students interested in supervision should reach out via the following channels:

Supervisory Ethos

Professor So fosters a highly supportive, yet rigorous, supervisory environment that champions interdisciplinary excellence and global impact. She guides her candidates to develop projects that are not only academically sound but also socially responsible, rooted in the idea of translating science into direct policy and community improvement. She values rigor in both structural engineering methodologies and social/epidemiological data analysis. Professor So actively seeks candidates who are self-motivated, eager to engage with complex, cross-disciplinary challenges, and share a passion for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in global disaster risk mitigation work. Candidates should be comfortable working collaboratively across international teams and committed to making their research matter in the real world.

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What backgrounds are you seeking for PhD candidates?

We seek diverse backgrounds, including civil and structural engineering, public health, geography, data science, and social sciences. Your primary passion should be applying quantitative and qualitative methods to mitigate urban risk.

2. Is funding available for graduate studies in your group?

Yes, current students are supported through major grants like the US NSF and previous projects funded by EPSRC and NERC. Successful candidates are strongly encouraged and assisted in applying for competitive university and external fellowships (e.g., the AHRC DTP, given Prof. So’s role).

3. What is the main focus of your major grant, Enhancing Earthquake Casualty Predictions?

The main focus is pioneering a new methodology for casualty estimation that integrates engineering vulnerability models with epidemiological data and local human behavior, moving beyond purely structural failure predictions.

4. How does your research connect engineering and public health?

The connection is vital; we treat the impact of an earthquake on human life as an outcome of both structural failure (engineering) and societal/health vulnerability (epidemiology). We are modeling the relationship between deaths and injuries more effectively.

5. Is the “Professor of Architectural Engineering (on sabbatical for 2025-2026)” role available for new students?

While the professorship is on sabbatical for that period, graduate supervision continues uninterrupted. The research projects and funding remain active, ensuring robust opportunities for new students.

6. Do I need prior experience in remote sensing or deep learning?

Not necessarily, but an enthusiasm to learn quantitative techniques is essential, especially for projects focused on spatiotemporal modeling and using Earth Observation data (like TanDEM-X and Sentinel-2) to analyze urban exposure.

7. Where will my research data come from?

Data sources are varied, including global seismic models (GEM), international fieldwork (EEFIT), epidemiological datasets, high-resolution satellite imagery, and archival records from past disaster events.

8. What kind of professional development does your group offer?

Students benefit from direct engagement with policy through Prof. So’s involvement with bodies like SAGE, the World Bank, and the USGS. They also gain experience in international collaboration through teams like the UK’s EEFIT.

9. What makes this research interdisciplinary?

Its nature is fundamentally interdisciplinary; it requires understanding physical risks (engineering) within their social, historical, and policy contexts (humanities/social science), which is supported by Prof. So’s roles in both the Department of Engineering and the School of Arts and Humanities.

10. What is the expected duration for a PhD under your supervision at Cambridge?

The standard duration for a PhD at Cambridge is typically 3 to 4 years, depending on the specific program and funding path (e.g., MPhil usually takes 1 year).