Ran Zhao, University of Alberta

Research

Analytical Chemistry Air Pollution ammonia animal welfare chemical partitioning hatching egg industry low cost sensors occupational health

Latest papers

Tobacco-specific alkaloid (TSA) formation in aged e-cigarette juices: mechanistic insights into hydroxyl radical-initiated nicotine oxidation.
Environmental science. Processes & impacts · 2026 · senior author
Anion Exchange and Nebulizer-Enhanced Online UV-Chemiluminescence Analyzer Coupled with LC-MS for Total and Novel N-Nitrosamines in Cigarettes and e-Juices.
Analytical chemistry · 2026
Characterizing amino compounds in indoor poultry farms: air quality and its impact on workers and chickens in Canadian egg farms.
Environmental science. Processes & impacts · 2025 · senior author

All 16 publications

Latest funding

The Impact of Biomass Burning Emission on Indoor Air Quality and Health
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$25,000
Wildfire Particles Exacerbate Asthma by Increasing Inflammation Through Neural and Microbial Alterations
CIHR · 2023 · Principal investigator
$1,875,000
Black Kite - a UAV, sensor-based wildfire smoke monitoring system: System assessment and application to Indigenous Fire Stewardship and wildfire smoke science
NSERC · 2023 · Co-investigator
$465,417

All 7 grants and awards

16 publications.

01

Tobacco-specific alkaloid (TSA) formation in aged e-cigarette juices: mechanistic insights into hydroxyl radical-initiated nicotine oxidation.

Guo X, Isenor BH, Wong K, Davis J, Chan A, Zhao R

Environmental science. Processes & impacts2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d5em01030f PMID: 41968989

02

Anion Exchange and Nebulizer-Enhanced Online UV-Chemiluminescence Analyzer Coupled with LC-MS for Total and Novel N-Nitrosamines in Cigarettes and e-Juices.

Guo X, Thomas B, Chau KNM, Zhang D, Shen Q, Talebian S, Kim A, Zhao R, Li XF

Analytical chemistry2026

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c05034 PMID: 41454852

03

Characterizing amino compounds in indoor poultry farms: air quality and its impact on workers and chickens in Canadian egg farms.

Guo X, Afroz R, Wu S, Wong K, Carney V, Zuidhof MJ, Saharchuk J, Osthoff H, Zhao R

Environmental science. Processes & impacts2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d4em00254g PMID: 40042349

04

Impact of Wildfire Smoke PM2.5 on Indoor Air Quality of Public Buildings on a University Campus.

Afroz R, Alonzo J, Omar S, Cheng CW, Schneider SR, Zhao R

ACS ES&T air2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.4c00342 PMID: 40242286

05

Comprehensive analysis of emissions from wood and cow dung burning using chemometrics and two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Loebel Roson M, Schmidt SA, Choudhary V, Johnson TA, de la Mata AP, Harynuk JJ, Zhao R

Chemosphere2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143445 PMID: 39369745

06

Field evidence of brown carbon absorption enhancement linked to organic nitrogen formation in Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Choudhary V, Mandariya AK, Zhao R, Gupta T

The Science of the total environment2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172506 PMID: 38636862

07

Photooxidation-Initiated Aqueous-Phase Formation of Organic Peroxides: Delving into Formation Mechanisms.

Gautam T, Kim E, Ng L, Choudhary V, Lima Amorim J, Loebel Roson M, Zhao R

Environmental science & technology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01162 PMID: 38578220

08

Unexpected electrophiles in the atmosphere – anhydride nucleophile reactions and uptake to biomass burning emissions

Loebel Roson M, Abou-Ghanem M, Kim E, Wu S, Long D, Styler SA, Zhao R

Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP20237 citationsSenior author

DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01751f

09

Autoxidation of glycols used in inhalable daily products: implications for the use of artificial fogs and e-cigarettes.

Guo X, Chan YC, Gautam T, Zhao R

Environmental science. Processes & impacts2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d3em00214d PMID: 37728872

10

Acetal Formation of Flavoring Agents with Propylene Glycol in E-Cigarettes: Impacts on Indoor Partitioning and Thirdhand Exposure.

Wu S, Kim E, Zhao R

Environmental science & technology2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08514 PMID: 38065550

The Impact of Biomass Burning Emission on Indoor Air Quality and Health

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Zhao, Ran R

Keywords: analytical chemistry; atmospheric chemistry; biomass burning; environmental chemistry; environmental public health; household energy; indoor air quality; wildfire smoke

$25,000

Wildfire Particles Exacerbate Asthma by Increasing Inflammation Through Neural and Microbial Alterations

Principal investigatorCIHR2023Team Grant: Lung Health - Inflammation and Lung Health

Principal investigators: Kubes, Paul; Jull, Janet E; Kaufmann, Eva; Leigh, Richard; Talbot, Sébastien; Thornton, Christina S; Zhao, Ran

Keywords: Asthma; Eosinophils; Imaging; Inflammation; Lung; Microbiome; Neuroinflammation; Neutrophils; Trained Immunity; Wildfires

$1,875,000

Black Kite - a UAV, sensor-based wildfire smoke monitoring system: System assessment and application to Indigenous Fire Stewardship and wildfire smoke science

Co-investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: McLagan, David DS

Keywords: air quality sensors; fire ecology; human health; indigenous fire stewardship; machine learning; smoke & air quality; unpiloted aerial vehicles (uavs); wildfires

$465,417

Interventions to address exposure and health outcomes linked with air pollution and climate change - an interdisciplinary team approach

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Team Grant: Lung Health - Climate, Air Quality and Lung Health

Principal investigators: Hicks, Elizabeth A; Tse, Sze Man

Keywords: Air Pollution; Asthma; Climate Change; Indoor Air Qualitly; Inflammation; Metabolomics; Outdoor Air Quality; Sleep

$1,799,331

Monitoring NH3 and the chemistry leading to its formation in broiler hatching egg farms.

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Zhao, Ran R

Keywords: air pollution; ammonia; analytical chemistry; animal welfare; chemical partitioning; hatching egg industry; low cost sensors; occupational health; poultry science

$96,000

New Insights into the Formation and Evolution of Air Pollutants Via Atmospheric Multiphase Chemistry

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Launch Supplement

Principal investigators: Zhao, Ran

$12,500

New Insights into the Formation and Evolution of Air Pollutants Via Atmospheric Multiphase Chemistry

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Zhao, Ran

Keywords: Advanced Mass Spectrometry; Air Pollution; Analytical Chemistry; Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry; Atmospheric Particulate Matter; Free Radical Chemistry; Organic Peroxides; Photochemistry; Secondary Organic Aerosol; Volatile Organic Compounds

$203,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Chemistry
Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

Co-authors at University of Alberta, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Hans Osthoff

Chemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Xing-Fang Li

Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Sarah Styler

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Arthur Chan

Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Analytical Chemistry Dear Professor Zhao, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Tobacco-specific alkaloid (TSA) formation in aged e-cigarette juices: mechanistic insights into hydroxyl radical-initiated nicotine oxidation." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "The Impact of Biomass Burning Emission on Indoor Air Quality and Health" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]