His research investigates the physics and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols, including their role in climate change and air pollution.

[1] Coe took a BSc in physics at Newcastle University in 1989, followed by a PhD titled "The Exchange of Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone Between Vegetation and the Atmosphere" at UMIST in 1993.

[1] Coe studies the physics and chemistry of aerosols in the atmosphere, including the part they play in climate change through interactions with clouds and solar radiation.

[12] Coe was awarded the Vilhelm Bjerknes Medal (2022) for "pioneering the science of atmospheric composition through instrument development and fine particle measurements, to study their impact on air quality, clouds and climate".

[13] In 2015, Coe was a joint recipient of a British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowship, with Lin Wang of Fudan University, for research into secondary organic aerosols using time-of-flight mass spectrometry.