Research Seminar for Canada Impact+: Jay Slowik
The Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry is pleased to host a special research seminar.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Jay Slowik for his seminar on Monday, February 23, from 3:00–4:00 p.m., in WB-215 :
Title:
Resolving aerosol sources, transformations, and health impacts with real-time mass spectrometry
Abstract:
Atmospheric aerosol exerts important but highly uncertain effects on human health, largely because its composition is governed by a complex interplay of emission sources and atmospheric aging processes. Of particular concern are the metallic and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) fractions, which have been linked to adverse health outcomes but for which rigorous source-composition-health relationships remain difficult to establish. SOA, formed by atmospheric reactions of emitted precursor gases, is a dynamically evolving matrix of highly functionalized molecules that cannot be measured in situ using traditional instrumentation. Consequently, SOA is treated as a bulk or non-source-specific quantity, obscuring the health implications of individual sources and transformation pathways. For metals, a similar measurement bottleneck exists, in that key emissions processes occur on timescales too short to resolve with conventional techniques, limiting understanding of real-world source contributions and exposure patterns. This seminar will describe innovations in real-time mass spectrometric instrumentation enabling molecular-level investigation of SOA and highly time-resolved characterization of aerosol-bound metals. Through applications in targeted laboratory and field studies, these approaches yield new insights at the intersection of emissions sources, atmospheric processing, and health implications.
SPEAKER BIO
Jay G. Slowik, PhD is a Senior Scientist in the Air Pollution Sources group in the Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). His research develops and applies advanced analytical strategies to investigate chemically complex atmospheric aerosol systems, integrating molecular-level mass spectrometry, laboratory and field measurements, and quantitative source apportionment to resolve aerosol effects on climate and human health. Prior to joining PSI in 2011, he completed a BA at Williams College, a Ph.D. at Boston College, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto. He has authored 190 peer-reviewed publications, and his contributions have been recognized by the 2018 Schmauss Award.
Joining us Virtually?
LINK: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27675429578681?p=8GAjDfVfuLoLtGBOuo
Meeting ID: 276 754 295 786 81
Passcode: ap7iy9F9
Dial in by phone
+1 647-794-1609,,284440475# Canada, Toronto
Phone conference ID: 284 440 475#
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