Yuhan Yang, Ph.D. Candidate, Pursuing Postdoc/Scientist Positions

YUHAN YANG, Georgia Institute of Technology

     Abstract Number: 785
     Working Group: Meet the Job Seekers

Abstract
My name is Yuhan Yang. I am a fifth year PhD student from Georgia Institute of Technology working with Dr. Rodney Weber. My research interest is aerosol effects on health. Specifically, my PhD research overall focuses on transition metals in aerosols and aerosol oxidative potential (OP).

My past research includes developing a cost-effective spectrophotometric method to measure various forms of Fe and Cu in PM precisely and developing an ultrafiltration method to characterize the water-soluble composition of PM_2.5. Currently, I am involved in an intriguing project assessing indoor and outdoor oxidative potential of PM_2.5 in Fairbanks winter. I conducted an in-depth analysis of ambient PM_2.5 samples collected during winter pollution events in Fairbanks to assess their OP and used machine learning techniques to establish models linking PM_2.5 exposure and toxicity to specific chemical species. Moreover, I conducted a comprehensive comparison of PM oxidative potential across diverse regions, highlighting the adverse health effects attributed to emissions from both traffic sources and biomass-burning activities, and illustrated the distinct perspective on particle toxicity provided by OP, offering valuable insights beyond PM_2.5 mass.

Looking ahead, my passion for aerosol research drives me to explore larger-scale aerosol health effects. I am particularly enthusiastic about integrating my expertise in metals and OP with global or regional atmospheric models. Additionally, I am eager to undertake epidemiological studies that establish links between transition metals in PM and specific diseases. With my master's degree in statistics from Georgia Tech, I possess a comprehensive understanding of both traditional statistical methods and machine learning tools. My background in aerosols, knowledge in math and statistics, and skill in programming would enable me to contribute to future aerosol health effects research on a larger scale.

As my PhD thesis defense is scheduled for December 2023, I am seeking postdoctoral or scientist positions in the United States beginning January 2024 onwards. Please contact me at yhyang611@gatech.edu if you are interested in collaborating or require more details.