OU Public Health | Fall 2018 25 Averting Assaults on Health by Air His car bears the tag, “Dr. Gator” and he’s living up to his nick- name, sinking his teeth deep into research at the OU Hudson College of Pub- lic Health that translates into real-world changes in occupational and environmen- tal health. Jun Wang, Ph.D., PE, CIH, CSP, resides within a research landscape that focuses on the air around us, especially in work environments. He is currently studying exposures to aerosols and toxins in the air we breathe, looking for ways to control those exposures to reduce or eliminate as- sociated diseases. “The environment is a predominant fac- tor affecting everyone’s health,” Wang ex- plained. “People can choose not to smoke or to eat healthily, but they have less con- trol over the air they breathe on an indi- vidual level. That is why studying, predict- ing and controlling or avoiding certain environmental exposure is fundamental to solving many public health issues, in- cluding cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and more.” Born in China, Wang grew up near the cap- ital city of Beijing, a city with a population almost five times that of the state of Okla- homa. He moved to the United States ten years ago to pursue his “American dream” of becoming a researcher. “People often speculate about the impact of air pollution as it relates to health, acidic precipitation, climate change and more, but I really want to learn more about the sources of air pollution as they relate to our health. This is like a public health approach to solve air pollution, focusing on preven- tion rather than cure. Such understanding can help countries around the globe to have a better future. After all, we are not only protecting the environment, we are protect- ing ourselves,” Dr. Wang said. Workplace exposures are of keen interest to Dr. Wang be- cause it is in the workplace where there can often be huge disparities in environmental exposure and health wellness. “Ihavewitnessedalotofpoor workplace hygiene practices, not only in developing coun- tries like China and Mexico, but also in some places in the United States. Poor work conditions are typically ac- companied by low wages, less access to health care and poverty, which are all impor- tant public health issues,” he said. “Without proper con- trols and regulation of labor conditions, we are essentially sacrificing people’s health to maximize profits. This is not a sustainable way for society to move forward.” Currently, Dr. Wang is con- ducting studies on two types of air pollutants: metal fumes generated in processes such as welding and cutting, and plastic aerosols emitted from 3-D printing. “Both of these are very important since most of these aerosols are very tiny in size and therefore can potentially pose greater adverse effects,” he said. Dr. Wang uses novel chemical-based methods to assess the oxidative potential of these aerosols, collaborating with re- searchers from Oklahoma State Univer- sity, University of Texas, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Oxidative potential is a toxicological measure that relates to aerosol size, surface and chemi- cal composition. It is an important predic- tor of oxidative stress, an imbalance that can lead to tissue and DNA damage. Re- cently, Dr. Wang and his team acquired new cutting-edge instruments to further enhance their ability to quantify both the physical and chemical properties of aero- sols. He is also conducting collaborative research with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study nitrous oxide emission and exposure in nitrogen-enriched work environments. RESEARCH IN FOCUS Continued on page 26