Congrats to the Fall 2021 Labroots Scholarship Winner!

The Labroots Fall 2021 Scholarship welcomed applicants from around the globe for a chance to fund their research. This year we are happy to announce that winner is University of Washington M.S. student Lillian Liu!

The Labroots Fall 2021 Scholarship welcomed applicants from around the globe for a chance to fund their research. This year we are happy to announce that winner is University of Washington M.S. student Lillian Liu!

Currently in her second year of study, Lillian is a student in the Exposure Science Program in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. Her research focuses on the effects of wildfire smoke on human cardiopulmonary health. As a research assistant in several labs, including the Seto Lab (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences) and the Chu Lab (University of Washington School of Medicine), Lillian conducts her research and still finds time to act as a tutor and graduate teaching assistant.

As an undergraduate her interest in environmental and occupational health was sparked by her fathers’ career in the field, however, it was the department, faculty, and School of Public Health at the University of Washington itself that solidified her choice to pursue a future in the field.

“What excites me the most is how this field that I study allows me bridge all I learn from life science, for example, physiology and biochemistry, and health science, for instance, environmental health, exposure science, and more altogether, to produce something that solves urgent and emerging issues in not only life sciences, but also health sciences.”

Lillian’s research explores the effects of wildfire smoke particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the cardiopulmonary systems of healthy adults. Among increasing instances of wildfire episodes in the Pacific Northwest, her research will help elucidate the long-term risks associated with smoke exposure not only in healthy adults, but also in populations with existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions like asthma and ischemic heart disease. The Labroots scholarship will help fund the purchase of equipment and technology needed to complete her studies and understand this phenomenon that will only grow in severity in the coming years.

Born in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, Lillian is not only about her research, but also about fitness and wellbeing in general. At the University of Washington, she is a part of Nourish, a student organization that hosts student-led discussions of body image, eating behavior, and mental health.

The merit-based scholarship will fund Lillian for one year, providing $2,000 in direct costs. Labroots supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Our scholarship program is open to students both in, and outside the US; there are no geographical limits for applicants. Labroots wishes to encourage all students to stay in science and aims to help students work towards their research and educational goals.