California Air Resources Board

Project Summary

What can we learn about the potential long-term health effects of wildfire smoke by studying its impact on monkeys exposed during their infancy?  

A CARB-funded research project by University of California Davis (UCD) researchers on nonhuman primates finds that inhaling wildfire smoke PM2.5 can lead to dysregulation of immune responses, irreversible changes in lung structure, and sleep disorders. This study highlights the impact of early-life exposure to ambient wildfire smoke PM2.5 on long-term health outcomes in adult female monkeys. The researchers also explored its potential heritable effects as the monkeys became mothers. This study suggests that humans exposed to wildfire smoke at an early age may experience similar harmful health effects that persist throughout their lifetime. Please join us for a research seminar to learn an update on UCD's research project, which provides valuable information on the public health implications of exposure to wildfire smoke PM2.5.

Background

Wildfires contribute significantly to air pollution, and their occurrence is anticipated to rise due to climate change. The impact of acute wildfire smoke PM2.5 exposure on the development of chronic lung diseases is not yet fully understood, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children. CARB previously funded two studies (10-303 & 15-303) involving a cohort of male and female rhesus monkeys housed in outdoor colonies that had experienced natural exposure to outdoor smoke PM2.5 from the Trinity and Humboldt County wildfires (summer, 2008) during infancy. These studies utilized a nonhuman primate model that is highly relevant to the study of pediatric populations. The current study continued to investigate the same cohort of female rhesus monkeys exposed to wildfire smoke PM2.5 in 2008 as infants, now age 13, and used non-invasive methods to evaluate chronic lung diseases and their activity.

Speaker Biography

Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is a Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Physiology, a PhD in Comparative Pathology from UC Davis, and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Immunology from Stanford University. She is also a lead Scientist in the Cardiorespiratory Diseases Unit and Inhalation Exposure Core at the California National Primate Research Center, UC Davis. Her research focuses on investigating the short and long-term impact of environmental exposures (air pollution, allergens, microbes) on the development of pulmonary and immune system function during the first year of life. Dr. Miller's research on wildfire health outcomes aims to identify early life mechanisms that cause lung disease and timely interventions to reduce individuals' health risks and limit risk transmission to the next generation. In addition, she has multiple publications examining the factors that contribute to environmental exposure in nonhuman primates.

Contact

For further information regarding the content of the seminar agenda, please contact Hnin Hnin Aung, Air Pollution Specialist.