Professor Minna Sunikka-Blank is a registered architect and expert on low-income housing and its role in sustainable development. Her research explores the intersections of domestic energy transitions, housing and gender. At the core of the project is collaboration with 'non-traditional' research partners: NGOs and policy makers.

Professor Sunikka-Blank co-convenes the inter-disciplinary Global Energy Nexus in Urban Settlements/GENUS research group across Geography, Engineering, Architecture and Judge Business School. She regularly collaborates with inter-disciplinary networks beyond Cambridge, looking at challenges such as adaptation of solar technologies in low income communities, focusing on the perspectives of women. Her AHRC Research Network Filming Energy (FERN) used participatory film-making to understand women's lived experience in transitional housing in India and South Africa.

Dr Sunikka-Blank has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and her research on understanding domestic energy demand and conceptualisation of the 'prebound effect' has directly informed housing and thermal retrofit policy. She authors policy briefings such as the British Academy COP26 Policy Briefing on Cities and Energy Transitions.