Professor Naomi Zimmerman
Principal Investigator (CV)
🏢 CEME 2066
☎ (604) 822-9433
Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Associates
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Bio: Anand is the Installation Manager for the Rapid Air Improvement Network (RAIN) project which aims to integrate spatially-dense sensor networks, mobile monitoring and sophisticated instrumentation to map and characterize air pollutants with the detail needed to support effective interventions on short and long term timescales. Anand has a background in particulate matter measurement & instrumentation as well as aspects of heterogeneous ice nucleation in the atmosphere. His master’s research work was focussed on designing, developing and performing field evaluation of a multiple slit nozzle-based high volume PM2.5 inertial impactor assembly. An Indian patent was filed for the assembly design and is in final stage of approval. His Ph.D research focussed on heterogeneous ice nucleation on mineral dust and the impact of atmospherically relevant chemical species on the ice nucleation abilities of various mineral dusts. He further explored this topic in his postdoc by using Molecular Dynamics Simulation technique to elucidate physical behavior of mineral-solute-water systems at low temperatures on short time and length scales that are not directly accessible experimentally. In his free time, Anand enjoys cooking, baking, dancing and exploring restaurants and craft breweries. |
Graduate Students
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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.” |
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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.” |
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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.” |
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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.” |
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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.” |
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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.” |
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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.” |
Undergraduate Students
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Alumni
- Sakshi Jain – Ph.D University of British Columbia (2023), Next: Air Quality Meteorologist, BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy
- James Hindson – M.A.Sc. University of British Columbia (2022)
- Dr. Surya Venkatesh Dhulipala (2022), Next: Senior Sustainability Consultant – Emerging Markets, Telus Communications
- Project:
- Bingqi Liu – M.A.Sc. University of British Columbia (2020), Next: Policy Analyst, Metro Vancouver
- Simon Jang – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2022)
- Jessica Tran – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2022)
- Rachel Habermehl – B.Sc. Researcher (2022)
- Stefan Colbow – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2021)
- Nika Martinussen – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2021)
- Jacob Rose – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2020-2021)
- Julian Fawkes – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2020)
- Zoe Le Hong – B.A.Sc. Researcher (2019-2020)
- Katia Cantu – MITACS Globalink Intern (2019)