The cabinets in Felicia Wu's kitchen aren't filled with organic food. And her two young daughters get messy. And the air in her home isn't cleansed by purifiers. Nothing in her day-to-day life is outside the realm of normal for health and hygiene. She credits her own sanity to not obsessing over her family's environment.
During the next five years, however, she will be visiting volunteers' homes in Pittsburgh to assess their environmental quality.
A food safety and indoor air enthusiast, Wu (E'00,'02) was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health Early Career Award to investigate a possible connection between childhood asthma and indoor mold exposure. The risk analyst will be collecting samples of air and dust and interviewing families about health problems, hoping to find a link.
Many previous studies have simply looked for visible mold and smelled for mildew. Wu explains, however, that even if you smell mildew it doesn't necessarily indicate a health problem. "Moreover," says the self-professed mold-lover, "there are millions of mold species, and not all are allergenic or produce toxins." Wu also does research on the economics and health impacts of mycotoxins: toxins produced by molds in food.
The NIH is not the only institution impressed with Wu's research. The University of Pittsburgh assistant professor of environmental and occupational health was recently honored with the Chauncey Starr Award from the Society for Risk Analysis, an international professional society. The award is given annually to an outstanding risk analyst 40 or younger. Wu, 31, is the youngest recipient ever.
--Kate Dunfee
