Interests: Exposure assessment for environmental epidemiology. Low-cost sensing technology. Bioindicators of air pollution. Reproducible research, coding, and data analysis.
Wildfire smoke exposure in agriculture. With collaborators in the UW Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, we are examining wildfire smoke exposure among agricultural workers, incorporating information on air pollution, the distribution of workers and agricultural products, and the timing of production. Agricultural workers are vulnerable to the effects of wildfire smoke exposure, in this case due to their occupation.
Bioindicators of air pollution. Currently, moss samples can be used as indicators of relative levels of air pollutants. With partners at the USDA Forest Service, we are conducting research to improve understanding of the relationships between air pollution and pollution found in moss growing on trees. The goal is to produce a more relevant measure for human health and public health protection and advance the use of bioindicators for public health protection.
Air pollution exposures in early life and brain development. Using a combination of low-cost sensors, direct-reading instruments, and air sampling equipment, we are investigating the relationships between air pollutants and neurodevelopmental outcomes in Nairobi, Kenya. The team is working with local partners to build capacity and explore exposure measurement techniques which may better serve studies in lower-resource settings.
Community-directed research to action. In an upcoming collaboration with community partners we will investigate environmental health hazards in Seattle’s Duwamish Valley. We will be establishing a community-engaged research process with local stakeholders, deploying a low-cost sensor network to expand a community-engaged and -directed air monitoring campaign evaluating traffic-related air quality, and evaluating the impact of a low-cost box fan and filter intervention on indoor air quality and asthma symptoms among children.
