Dr Jesus Lizana

Jesus Lizana is Associate Professor in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, with an experience profile in architecture and engineering. He leads the research on Zero-Carbon Heating and Cooling at the ZERO Institute and serves as a Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson College.

Professor Lizana has an international and interdisciplinary career, having worked across Spain, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. At Oxford, he is engaged in a wide range of research initiatives and has secured several prestigious competitive grants, including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (MSCA). His research focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptation, heating decarbonisation, and sustainable cooling, using novel materials, numerical modelling, climate analysis, real-world experimentation, and strategic planning. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Sustainable Cooling Group at CIBSE, Student Activities Chair of the ASHRAE UK Chapter, and is a member of the scientific and technical committees of major international conferences, including CICSE and SDEWES. He also acts as a board member and scientific reviewer for leading journals, conferences, and research programmes.

Alongside his academic work, Professor Lizana is a consultant and UK Chartered Engineer (FCIBSE CEng) on building engineering projects across the United Kingdom, India, Spain, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. He advises on building performance, zero-carbon energy systems, data analytics, risk assessment, and sustainable and resilient cooling solutions. He has provided strategic guidance to international organisations, including UNEP, CIBSE, and the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

His career has received wide recognition, including the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent Award (2025) for outstanding scientific achievement, the MPLS Teaching Award (2025) at the University of Oxford, the ASHRAE Award (2025) for Zero-Carbon Education, and the CIBSE Award (2025) for Learning and Development. Earlier distinctions include first prize for Best PhD Thesis (GECAT 2020) awarded by the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry and the Royal Spanish Physical Society, the Young Prize for Scientific Culture (2018) in experimental sciences, the International Year Award (2018) from Young European Associated Researchers, and multiple awards for best scientific publications.

Professor Lizana earned his PhD in low-carbon buildings from the University of Seville, Spain, following a five-year integrated degree in Architecture and Building Engineering and an MSc in Building Engineering. Prior to joining Oxford, he held academic and research positions at the University of Seville, the University of Edinburgh, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Lisbon, and the Spanish National Research Council.