Population Research Discovery Seminars
Here We Go Again: Repeated Wildfire Smoke Exposure and Health Risks in the US
Joan Casey, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington
Parrington Hall Room 360
To Join By Zoom: Register HERE
10/23/2026
12:30-1:30 PM PT
360 Parrington Hall
Co-Sponsor(s):
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity, impacting larger numbers of Americans annually, making previously once-in-a-lifetime exposures routine. What repeated exposure means for chronic disease remains largely unknown. I will present research using nationwide Medicare claims and electronic health records from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to examine repeated wildfire smoke exposure and neurological disease.
Joan A. Casey is an Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health. She received her doctoral degree from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Casey uses large secondary spatial data sources to investigate the health impacts of a range of emerging environmental exposures, including wildfires, power outages, fossil fuel infrastructure, and the energy transition. She prioritizes the study of joint social and environmental risk factors that help explain persistent health disparities and focuses on policy-relevant climate justice work.