Weixing Hao, Ph.D. Candidate, Pursuing Postdoc/Faculty/Scientist Positions

WEIXING HAO, University of Miami

     Abstract Number: 674
     Working Group: Meet the Job Seekers

Abstract
I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Yang Wang’s group at the University of Miami, specializing in air filtration, aerosol instrumentation, and aerosol health effects.

My first project is to examine the filtration performance of common materials as candidates for homemade facemasks in COVID-19 mitigation. Due to the severe shortage of medical supplies, I evaluated the filtration performance of homemade masks by examining the filtration efficiency and breathability of more than 250 fabric and paper materials and sharing the data freely with the public. This work received coverage from several media, including the New York Times, BBC News, and NPR News.

The second project is to optimize the Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) performance in numerical simulation using COMSOL software. The simulation incorporated particle activation and droplet growth. The effects of operating conditions and working fluids on CPC performance are also discussed. The results of this study can be used for further optimizing the performance of CPCs for detecting sub-3 nm particles.

The third ongoing project is to dig deeper into how bioaerosols may evolve and transport in indoor environments. I set up a chamber to generate the suspension of bioaerosols to simulate human activities such as coughing, sneezing, and talking and analyzed the load and viability of pathogens in these bioaerosols. I also use the data we collected from the filtration experiments to design a simulated respiratory system with similar aerosol deposition compared to actual human lungs. This simulated system will simplify future health studies on smoke aerosols, reducing the risk and cost associated with human subject recruitment.

I plan to graduate by the end of 2024 and I look forward to staying in academia and contributing more to AAAR. For further questions, please contact weixinghao@miami.edu.