We spend approximately 90% of our lives indoors, making the quality of our indoor air crucial to our well-being. The indoor microbiome—comprising bacteria, fungi and viruses—plays a significant role in our health. Changing climate patterns, such as wet weather and flooding, along with materials like carpet and drywall, are creating mold growth and air quality challenges. These issues are particularly severe in First Nations housing, where poor ventilation and high moisture levels are prevalent.
How can engineering and microbiology enable us to optimize human health, aid in pandemic preparedness and benefit our most vulnerable communities?
Professor Sarah Haines’ research explores the unseen world within our homes. She’ll share her research examining building materials and the influence of moisture on indoor mold growth, the use of portable air cleansers for viral surveillance and current pathways forward for co-developing solutions that improve indoor air quality in northern First Nations communities.
Join us on October 9, 2024, at our monthly Skule™ Lunch & Learn.
By registering for the Skule™ Lunch & Learn event, you could potentially earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits. CPDs are essential for professional engineers and limited license holders to renew their licenses annually through the PEO PEAK Program. If you're wondering whether this event offering qualifies you for CPD credits, click here to learn more.
About the speaker
Professor Sarah Haines
Professor Sarah Haines is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and is the Director of the Indoor Microbiology and Environmental Exposures (IMEE) Lab.
Dr. Haines’ interdisciplinary research integrates building science, engineering and microbiology to analyze connections between the built environment and human health. She uses cutting-edge microbiology techniques such as next-generation sequencing, metatranscriptomics and bioinformatics to understand the impact of moisture on indoor environmental quality. Her work aids in understanding indoor exposures from microorganisms and chemicals providing for a cleaner and sustainable indoor environment particularly for our most vulnerable communities.