Postdoctoral Researcher
Chai’s research focuses on how the built environment, mechanical systems, and human activities shape the physical and chemical properties of indoor air and affect human health and comfort. At CBE, she is currently working on the California Air Resources Board (CARB)-funded project evaluating the real-world effectiveness of advanced portable air cleaners and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters for reducing indoor gas pollutants with Prof. Lu Liang. She is working with the Thirdhand Consortium on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling to map thirdhand smoke in homes based on the spatial variability of nicotine sorption. She is also working on the “Cooking and Clean Air in Homes” study, measuring air pollutant concentrations and exposures that result from cooking with gas, conventional electric, and induction burners in apartments and homes in disadvantaged or low-income communities, led by LBNL and Prof. Misbath Daouda in the Public Health Department.
Chai received her PhD in Architecture from the BSTS program at UC Berkeley in Summer 2026. She conducted her PhD research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, participating in multiple projects including evaluations of germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) disinfection for energy savings, decarbonization, and healthier buildings; indoor chemistry and measurements of secondary pollutants in an occupied room with a far-UVC installation; and analysis of the dynamic behavior of coarse particles vs. gaseous pollutants in a full-scale room. She also worked on CFD analysis to investigate the effects of overhead HVAC operations and release scenarios on exhaled pollutant mixing and spatial exposure variability to explore when indoor air can be assumed to be well mixed for indoor air quality modeling and analysis.
She received her BS and MS in Architectural Engineering from Yonsei University in 2019 and 2020, respectively. During her MS studies, she led field measurements of indoor air quality focusing on particulate matter, investigating daycare centers and nursing homes and how occupant activities, window-opening behaviors, and the use of portable air cleaners affect human exposure.