Women! A Vulnerable Population in Occupational Settings

Please join us for an innovative and scholarly lecture on the health of women and children by Dr. Qamar Rahman. Dr. Rahman, Dean of Research and Science and Technology and a research professor in chemical engineering at Amity University in Lucknow, India, is an expert in inhalation toxicology, especially of nano particles and asbestos. Her talk will focus on home and occupational threats to the lung health of women and children in India and the developing world. She will address broad areas of environmental hazards such as smoke in the home and cooking fuels from the phenomena known as the Asian brown cloud, caused by large amounts of aerosols (e.g., soot and dust) produced in the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass across the region; exposure to asbestos; and inhalation of silica from sand, rock, and mineral ores encountered in low paying, manual labor all of which often lead to respiratory disease. Dr. Rahman will also describe international efforts to address environmental toxins and potential research partnerships in these areas.

In addition to her research endeavors, Dr. Rahman will highlight her motivation to give back to her community by working to improve the occupational and environmental health of Indian women and those in developing countries across the globe. She serves as chair of the Foundation for Education and Economic Development, which works to address issues that impede social equality and development, through education and empowerment. Active in the World Health Organization and the Indian government, Dr. Rahman forged a path for other women to follow, then turned back to help bring progress to the lives of local
disadvantaged women.