The Joint Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Science and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology 2025 convenes in Atlanta, Georgia from August 17-20, 2025.

The overall theme is “Global Environmental Health Equity across the Lifespan.” With the rich civil rights history of Atlanta, the theme integrates equality with environmental health. The organizing committee of the ISES-ISEE believes that scientific research should have practical implications and help all, not just those who can afford to live in more pristine regions.

The health implications of the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), commonly referred to as vaping, has garnered significant public health attention. Given the concerns regarding the use of these devices and their impact on oral health, we sought to evaluate the potential links between vaping and the oral epithelium at the cellular level.

Postdoctoral Researcher, UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights

Maureen Meister began her position as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Chemical Insights Research Institute in June 2023. Meister joined the Center for Toxicology and Human Health after completion (CIRI) of her doctorate in Chemistry at Georgia State University (GSU). At GSU, Meister studied the deleterious effects of chronic electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use through utilization of in vitro and in vivo inhalation exposure models. In this work, Meister explored the impacts chronic ENDS exposure may have on vascular endothelial dysfunction, an early phenomenon in many cardiovascular conditions.

During her doctoral program, Meister was awarded a competitive USDA-NIFA predoctoral fellowship to fund her dissertation work. This work assessed the potential for dietary polyphenols to protect against chronic ENDS-induced cardiopulmonary dysfunction. In addition, Meister was involved in various projects related to ENDS exposure across GSU. Meister joins CIRI with extensive biochemistry-based wet lab experience and is well versed in the coordination and carry out of human clinical trials. In her role at CIRI, Meister will be involved in studies focused on a number of environmental, occupational and consumer based toxic exposures. She will advance her skill set in toxicology by receiving training in advanced toxicological exposure and measurement systems. Additionally, Meister will be involved in the execution of NIH-funded clinical studies assessing the differential effects of ENDS user behaviors on oral health. She will also assess textile-based release of PFAS and further characterize how dermal PFAS exposure may contribute to disease.

In addition to her background in toxicology, Meister is a Registered Dietitian and has experience in research and clinical dietetics. Additionally, Meister has served as adjunct/part-time faculty at Rasmussen University and Kennesaw State University. As such, Meister brings a unique skill set to our team and is involved in advancing the toxicological research and outreach here at CIRI as it relates to human health. Meister’s diverse background allows for the development of novel studies focused on the diverse human population in order to understand what impacts susceptibility (e.g., diet, sex, ethnicity) to environmental and consumer-based toxic exposures and how these can be mitigated.

Chemical Insights Research Institute colleagues Xiaojia He, Shaligram Sharma, and Christa Wright are contributors, along with P. Cushenan, J. Shannahan.

3D printing, particularly vat photopolymerization technology, has become widely applied in the dental field, which can be used to create customized dental appliances like crowns and dentures. The photopolymer resins used for vat photopolymerization 3D printing contain various irritating and/or sensitizing compounds that may cause irritation or allergic reactions when in contact with eyes, skin, and the respiratory tract. In addition, resins may off gas at room conditions if not sealed. Therefore, inhalation exposure could happen during resin loading and handling, printing and post-printing processes.

Research Scientist, UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights

Zhang’s research interests focus on indoor and outdoor air quality and pollution, particle and chemical emissions from emerging technologies, human exposure and health impacts. Her experience and expertise include particle and chemical emission characterization, aerosol measurement and instrumentation, aerosol toxicity assessment, and indoor air exposure estimation. Her motivation is to understand the science behind environmental pollutions and associated concerns and contribute to the improvement of the environment and human health.

Zhang received her Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2018. Her doctoral research focused on aerosol emissions from consumer level 3D printers, with specialties in aerosol characterization, aerosol dynamic modeling, and aerosol toxicity assessment. Starting 2019, she joined Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. as a post-doctoral researcher, and became a Research Scientist in 2021. At Chemical Insights Research Institute, she conducts research on particle and volatile organic compound emissions from 3D printing, aerosol emission characterization from electronic nicotine delivery systems, exposure estimation of emerging indoor emissions, exposure mitigation strategy evaluation; and advances her skills in experimental design, field study sampling, data analysis and management. Before she came to the U.S., she received her master’s and bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Science and Technology Beijing, China and worked on water and wastewater treatment technologies.

Beyond publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at domestic and international conferences, Zhang also serves as reviewer and member in scientific communities. She holds an engineer-in-training certification.

Chemical Insights Research Institute colleagues Mark Wilson and Cristi Bell-Huff are contributors, along with I. Sanchez, M. Maroun, B. Welmaker.

Residents in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) face exposure risks to a variety of wildfire hazards, including inhalation of combustion emissions and exposure to residual materials that infiltrate the indoors. WUI fire fuels contain synthetic materials leading to complex chemical profiles in emissions and residues that may contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). This research aims to characterize and quantify VOCs and SVOCs compounds in emissions and resides and model exposure through multiple routes using concentrations measured from a laboratory-scale combustion system loaded with custom formulated pellets to simulate WUI fire fuels.

Research Scientist, UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights

Cynthia Choo is a Research Scientist in the Center for Exposure Science within Chemical Insights Research Institute. Her work aims to better understand and reduce human’s exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile compounds (SVOCs) in indoor environments. Choo’s research focuses on chemical characterization of the post-fire residue from wildland or wildland urban interface (WUI) fires and exposure modeling to assess corresponding human exposure through inhalation, ingestion and dermal exposure. Using advanced analytical instrumentation like gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), Choo implements green analytical methods for the analysis of VOCs and SVOCs in different matrices.

Choo received a Ph.D. and a Master (M.S.) in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Memphis. After graduate school, Choo worked as a tenure track assistant professor, at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) teaching undergraduate level foundation of analytical chemistry and instrumental analysis as well as graduate level special topics in chromatography. Besides teaching, Choo remains active in her research. She was a co-PI in a project funded by the Missouri Department of Conservation to study pallid sturgeon’s environmental life history in the Missouri and Mississippi River. After spending 3 years in academia, Choo then went on to work as an R&D chemist for various companies, leading research and development teams to develop new testing capabilities and improving existing practices. Choo is dedicated to mentorship, having served as a research mentor at the University of Memphis. She mentored students selected for American Chemical Society (ACS) Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged (SEED) program and National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Chemical Insights Research Institute colleagues David Kalafut and Mark Wilson are contributors, along with T. Nurkiewiez, A. Ranpara, W.T. Goldsmith, T. Batchelor, and M. Blank.

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