"I am delighted to receive this distinction and see it as an obligation not only to continue working in my field, but also to act as an ambassador for Empa to the outside world," said Brunner at the award ceremony. The researcher has been head of the Atmospheric Modelling and Remote Sensing research group at Empa's Air Pollution / Environmental Technology department since 2006. At ETH Zurich, Brunner lectures in the Department of Environmental Systems Sciences and in the Department of Architecture and was appointed titular professor of the ETH in December 2019.

Brunner describes his work as follows: "In my research group we determine emissions from industry, traffic, households and agriculture as well as their effects on air quality and the greenhouse effect. Our research topic fits in well with energy research, which is becoming increasingly important at Empa. Our colleagues are concerned with ensuring that fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere – while we look upwards and see whether these measures are reflected in atmospheric concentrations and where the path is leading us."

The title of "Distinguished Senior Researcher" has been awarded at Empa since 2015 to researchers of outstanding international reputation. Brunner is only the 5th researcher to receive this distinction.