Mrinmoy Chakraborty
Ph.D. Candidate
M.Tech. IIT Kanpur, India (2016)
B.Tech. West Bengal University of Technology (2013)
mrinmoy.chakraborty@ubc.ca
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Bio: Mrinmoy is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering jointly supervised by Prof. Amanda Giang. He has completed masters in Environmental Engineering and Management from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata. He is interested in working with field observations of air pollutants using low cost sensors and evaluating the energy policies with the help of chemical transport models. His focus will be on the tools for assessing energy and health policies in developing countries like India using both numerical simulations and field studies.
“i want to REACH the dark corners of air quality and climate change research, illuminate them, and make our world a better and healthier place to live.” |
Davi de Ferreyro Monticelli
Ph.D. Candidate
M.Eng. Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Brazil (2020)
B.Eng. Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Brazil (2019)
davi.monticelli@ubc.ca
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Bio: Davi is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at UBC Vancouver. He has a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, with an emphasis on air pollution, from the Federal University of Espirito Santo, located in Brazil. Davi also has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering at the same institution in Brazil. During his undergraduate studies, he was able to obtain a scholarship and study abroad at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. At UBC, he will work to mitigate the air quality impacts of the emerging Cannabis Industry through measuring and modelling concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM). Additionally, he will analyze odour reports and investigate public health impacts of Cannabis Industry emissions and the distribution of these impacts in the context of environmental justice. On the personal aspect, Davi enjoys playing chess, the guitar/keyboard, and swim.
“iREACH for a world where air pollution is visible, quantifiable, and understandable for the public so people can breathe cleaner air in all regions.” |
Mina Jamshidi Kalajahi
Ph.D. Student
B.Sc. University of Tabriz (2015)
M.Sc. University of Tabriz (2017)
mina.jamshidikalajahi@ubc.ca
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Bio: Mina is pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Naomi Zimmerman. Her research focuses on air pollutant emissions from vehicles in Vancouver. Through her work, she aims to survey the future of transportation in Vancouver by integrating agent-based traffic models with prevalent emission models. Prior to her Ph.D. study, she earned her master’s degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tabriz, Iran. Furthermore, she has actively engaged in research projects related to air pollution emission and dispersion studies, emission inventory development, and pollution reduction strategies.
iREACH to live up to my motto of “Our environment is the only crucial legacy we can leave to our children.” |
Jasmine Sharifi
Ph.D. Student
B.Sc. Shahid Beheshti University (2019)
M.Sc. Shahid Beheshti University (2022)
yasamin.sharifi@ubc.ca
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Bio: Yasamin Sharifi is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC Vancouver. She has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Shahid Beheshti University and recently completed her master’s degree in energy systems engineering from the same University in Iran. Under the joint supervision of Dr. Amanda Giang and Dr. Naomi Zimmerman, she aims to contribute to sustainable urban planning and transportation policies. Yasamin’s research focuses on urban freight emissions mitigation and policy implications in Metro Vancouver, specifically marine, rail, and heavy-duty trucks. With a passion for interdisciplinary work, Yasamin strives to address the complex relationship between energy systems, environmental impact, and policymaking.
“iREACH to improve my skills to create emission inventory estimation models; to help policy-makers in crafting well-informed environmental policies.” |
Yuetong Zhang
Ph.D. Student
B.S. Beijing University of Technology, China (2019)
M.S. University of Southern California, USA (2021)
M.S. University of Florida, USA (2023)
zyuetong@student.ubc.ca
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Bio: Yuetong Zhang is a PhD student in Dr. Naomi’s iREACH lab. She received her degrees in Material Science and Engineering from the Beijing University of Technology (China, Bachelors), and in Environmental Engineering from the University of Southern California (US, Masters) and the University of Florida (US, Masters). The primary focus of her research has been on investigating the health effects of airborne particles through the utilization of air-liquid interface exposure systems and animal models. Over the course of the past years, she actively participated in field sampling activities pertaining to SARS-CoV-2. She is also interested in doing field measurement to study the fate of particulate matters in transportation sector.
“iREACH for enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying toxicity to minimize harmful impacts of PM in marginalized communities.” |
Cynthia Pham
M.A.Sc. Student
B. Eng. McMaster University (2022)
phamc1@student.ubc.ca
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Bio: Cynthia is a MASc student working under Dr. Naomi Zimmerman and Dr. Chris Carlsten in the Mechanical Engineering Department and Faculty of Medicine. Cynthia completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering from McMaster University where she worked on various research topics ranging from tissue engineering to biomaterials. She joined the iREACH lab after her undergraduate degree to continue a passion for research and learning and to focus her knowledge on an interdisciplinary approach to health and the environment. Cynthia’s research incorporates air quality instrumentation along with lung toxicology to investigate and build a foundation to understand the health effects of real-world ambient air pollutants around the metro Vancouver region. Beyond her research for a healthier environment, Cynthia enjoys getting outside through hiking and road cycling!
“iREACH to develop our understanding of how various real-world air pollutants affect our health so we can target a cleaner environment for everyone to enjoy into the future.” |
Caroline Webber
M.Sc. Student
B.Sc. UNC-Chapel Hill (2023)
cfwebber@eoas.ubc.ca |
Bio: Caroline is an MSc student in the Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS) department at UBC Vancouver, studying under Dr. Naomi Zimmerman. Caroline graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023 with a Bachelor’s of Science in environmental science. As an undergraduate, she conducted an honors thesis under a professor in UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, studying the interannual variability of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) and its potential contributions to marine secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Conducting this research through the lens of public health has highly motivated her interest in atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, and environmental policy. Outside of academics, Caroline enjoys playing piano, knitting, hiking, and swimming.
“iREACH to understand the factors creating air pollution so that we can minimize the negative effects on human and environmental health and inform effective environmental policy.” |