Recap: Wildfires & Health From Research to Resilience
Thank you to all who joined us for the Wildfires and Health: From Research to Resilience online conference on November 19, 2025! If you missed it, or want to revisit key moments, here’s a recap:
Wildfires & Health Expert Panel:
- Minghao Qiu from Stony Brook University opened with an overview of wildfire and health research, and discussed key trends and projections.
- Mary Margaret Johnson from Harvard University discussed the ongoing work of the LA Fire Health Study, including exposures measured, current tools used, and how they engage with community and government officials.
- Jennifer Stowell from the University of Maryland discussed the use of prescribed burning techniques to mitigate wildfire severity and associated health effects.
- Sarah Henderson from the University of British Columbia spoke about the impacts wildfires have on communities and practical solutions that can be implemented to mitigate exposure risks.
Wildfires & Health Lightning Talks:
Our eleven lightning talk speakers delivered fast-paced, impactful presentations on critical topics including:
Topics Included:
- Wildfires and industrial chemicals: Amanda Hoffman-Hall, Eckard College
- Quantifying PM2.5 and O3: Dan Jaffe, University of Washington
- Chicago 2023 Wildfires, Mercedes Bravo, Duke University
- Air Quality Index effectiveness in conveying toxic metal exposures, Jo Kay Ghosh, Heluna Health
- Behavioral Health Support for Wildfire Firefighters, Sienna Mark, Northeastern University
- Land Management to Mitigate Future Wildfire Activity in California, Claire Bekker, University of California Los Angeles
- Health Impacts of Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires, Kelly Perry, Duke University
- Wildfire Birth Outcomes in California, Lanxin Song, University of California Los Angeles
- Social Support Networks of Rural Older Adults, Kelly Szott, Southern Oregon University
- Wildfire Smoke Exposure among People who are Incarcerated, Kristen Cowan, University of Buffalo
- Stroke Incidence and Long Term Exposure to PM2.5, Yang Liu, Emory University
Watch the Full Session Here:
Workshop:
The Public Health Extreme Events Research Network (PHEER) and the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure RAPID facility, collected critical post-disaster data following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The team captured high-resolution aerial imagery, 3D point cloud models, and street-view documentation across 30 km² of fire-affected areas in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities before debris removal. PHEER partnered with the NHERI Rapid Facility to conduct hyperspectral imaging of 25 fire-affected census blocks in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities in California. Ongoing analyses are underway to quantify toxins in soil, debris, water, and air, and later to incorporate into dose-response health outcome studies.
Watch the Workshop / Access PHEER Wildfire Exposure Map
