November 19, 2020
1:00am – 2:00am
RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/EHS411
About the lecture: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) have been marketed as a traditional tobacco cigarette alternative, but how safe are they? In this talk we will outline the particle emissions and chemical composition of EC aerosols in relation to its impacts on indoor quality and potential for oxidative stress. We will also discuss the role ECs play in modulating cardiovascular health in an animal model and human subjects.
About the speakers: All speakers are UCLA students and alumni who work in the Araujo Lab in the School of Medicine and the Zhu Lab in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. The Araujo Lab focuses on understanding mechanisms by which exposure to air particulate matter promotes atherosclerosis and ischemic events. The Zhu Lab focuses on air pollution, exposure assessment, and aerosolscience and technology. Jocelyn Castellanos is a Senior Research Associate in Dr. Jesus Araujo’s lab. Her research interests include the intersection between environmental exposures and health with a focus on how ECs impact heart rate variability and their potential for atherosclerotic development. Dr. David H. Gonzalez is a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Jesus Araujo’s lab. His research investigates how ambient particulate matter influences iron metabolism, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. He holds a PhD in atmospheric and oceanic sciences from UCLA where he was mentored by Dr. Suzanne Paulson. Rajat Gupta, from Dr. Jesus Araujo’s lab, is a 2nd-year PhD candidate interested in the role of gut microbiota in air pollution induced pro-oxidative effects in mouse models of cardiovascular disease. His current research also focuses on studying the cardiovascular effects of electronic cigarette use in healthy young adults. Liqiao (Vicky) Li, from Dr. Yifang Zhu’s lab, is a 4th-year PhD candidate interested in indoor air pollution and environmental exposure assessment. Her current research focuses on the characterization of e-cigaretterelated aerosols and their indoor air quality impacts.