Children are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke. In this talk, we'll review health effects of wildfire smoke in children. The use of masks or respirators may provide some protection from smoke. Dr. Holm will review guidance that came from an EPA-sponsored working group of experts that made recommendations for masks and respirators in children, as well as the science behind those recommendations. She will also review the recently released report from a National Academies' consensus committee about the framework needed to support respiratory protection for the public in this country. 

Dr. Stephanie Holm is an environmental pediatrician and epidemiologist. She is the Co-Director of the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, does research on air pollution effects on children’s health and works half time at California EPA in the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. She got her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh, did postgraduate medical training at Children’s Hospital Oakland and University of California San Francisco, and got her PhD at UC Berkeley. She’s been heavily involved in work on health effects of wildfire smoke in children and public health strategies for mitigation for the last couple of years.