Public Health AeroBiology Laboratory
(PHAB Lab)
Studying Airborne Infection Transmission
Principal Investigators: Donald K. Milton, MD, DrPH, Kathleen McPhaul, RN, MPH, PhD

The Public Health Aerobiology Laboratory is led by Dr. Donald Milton and Dr. Kristen Coleman. Studying airborne infection transmission through multidisciplinary work including a virology lab, a bioaerosol lab, and a clinic. Our lab is part of the Department of Global Environmental, and Occupational Health. The Research that we conduct is crucial in informing policy around environmental and occupational health.

Studying Airborne Infection Transmission

The laboratory support studies of:

airborne infection transmission
influenza epidemiology
bioaerosol exposure in asthma
non-invasive monitoring of exhaled biomarkers
the role of germicidal ultraviolet light (gUV) devices in disinfection of airborne pathogens

Capabilities of the lab include culturing viruses, RT-qPCR, analysis of exhaled breath particles, bioaerosol sampling and immunoassay.

If you have a roommate,

you may be eligible for

GotFluToo: 2026-27 Roommate Study

If you don't have a roommate,

you may be eligible for

EMIT-2b

Highlights

Catch the PHAB Lab on "Matter of Fact"

fauci-soledad-obrien.mp4

Watch a clip from "Matter of Fact" featuring the PHAB Lab. Dr. Milton explains findings from the CATCH Study and how we use the Gesundheit-II (G-II) to see how much people contaminate the environment around them when infected with the flu. The G-II collects a breath sample that is then analyzed to see how much virus each participant sheds.

The second part of the video features Dr. Anthony Fauci discussing the importance of finding a universal flu vaccine and we have learned more about how the flu spreads using the G-II. The G-II tells us that the flu virus can be spread by aerosol, very fine particles that can go for multiple distances. "A person can go into a room and not necessarily sneeze on you to get you infected."

Unfortunately the owners of the clip have taken it down. We are working to get it reposted.

Corsi-Rosenthal Box Builds at the University of Maryland, College Park

Link to Corsi-Rosenthal Box at the Unversity of Maryland, College Park website linked above.

Why Is There Confusion About Whether Masks Prevent COVID-19? Public Perceptions, Misperceptions and the Messaging of Science

Columbia University, School of Professional Studies

Speaker Professor Don Milton
Date: May 9, 2023
Link: https://sps.columbia.edu/events/why-there-confusion-about-whether-masks-prevent-covid-19-public-perceptions-misperceptions?program_id=1061

Researchers testing light technology that could protect against the next pandemic

In a May 2022 CBS interview, Dr. Donald Milton discusses the future of implementing Far UV-C technology as an effective tool to mitigate the spread of air-borne infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This discussion comes at a time when we are still seeing individuals become infected with COVID-19 following the attendance of superspreader events, despite strict testing and vaccination requirements.

For more information about the safety and efficacy of Far-UVC technology, click Here.

University of Maryland-CERSI/FDA Lecture

FDA.Gov

Presented by Donald Milton, MD, DrPH
Date: June 14, 2022
Link: Airborne Respiratory Viral Infections and Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions: How do we achieve resilience?
Click Here to Watch the Recorded Lecture

We Have the Technology to Stop Superspreading Without Masks

The New York Times

In a New York Times op-ed, Dr. Donald K. Milton, along with Dr. Edward A. Nardell and Dr. David Michaels, discusses the potential of germicidal ultraviolet light for making indoor environments safer by disinfecting indoor air.
Featuring Donald Milton, MD, DrPH
Date: April 21, 2022
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/opinion/superspreader-events-disinfect-air.html

Maryland Institute of Environmental Health 688 Seminar: Results of the UMD StopCOVID Study and High Efficiency Air Sanitation with Germicidal UV Light for Schools and Conference Rooms

Presented by Jianyu Lai and Donald Milton, MD, DrPH
Date: September 7, 2021
Recording Link: Here
Passcode: !+h8%j?Q