Yifang Zhu

Dr. Yifang Zhu is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She holds a PhD from UCLA (2003) and a BS from Tsinghua University (1997). Her research focuses on air pollution, aerosol science, and exposure assessment, particularly regarding ultrafine particles in indoor and outdoor environments. She serves on the California Air Resources Board’s Research Screening Committee and has received major awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2009) and Haagen-Smit Prize (2011).

Education:

• PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA, 2003
• BS, Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, 1997

Research Interests: Dr. Zhu’s work examines quantitative exposure/risk assessments of ultrafine particles from roadways and indoor sources. Her studies include aerosol dynamics, electronic cigarette emissions, and the health impacts of air pollutants such as PAHs and brake/tire wear particles. She employs advanced techniques like holographic microscopy and metabolomics to study particle behavior and biological effects.

Key Contributions:

• Developed methods to measure and model ultrafine particle emissions
• Explored health co-benefits of decarbonization policies in California
• Evaluated air quality impacts of emerging technologies like e-cigarettes and EV charging

Awards:

• Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award (Health Effects Institute, 2007)
• NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award (2009)
• Haagen-Smit Prize (Atmospheric Environment, 2011)

Grants & Advising: Advises graduate students on air quality, toxicology, and public health. Active in grant-funded projects on aerosol technology, urban pollution mitigation, and climate policy.

Labs & Teams: Leads research groups studying environmental exposure biology, aerosol physics, and translational toxicology at UCLA. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on national and international environmental health initiatives.