Climate change has produced increasingly intense, destructive and prolonged wildfire seasons across Canada. Wildfire seasons are no longer a distant threat but a recurring health reality, from the boreal forests of Alberta to the smoky skies of Toronto. The health impacts of wildfires are widespread, affecting a wide range of populations and are increasingly a public health challenge. From the destruction of communities and displacement of residents, impacts on frontline responders, and growing demands on healthcare systems, wildfire seasons are a serious concern.
Together, speakers will explore emerging evidence, lessons learned, and priorities for research, policy, and practice as Canada prepares for a future of more frequent and severe wildfire seasons.
Moderator
Lindsay Komar, MN, RN
Lindsay Komar is a Registered Nurse and Research Director in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Alberta. Lindsay graduated from the U of A Master of Nursing program, with a focus on Planetary Health in Nursing research, education, and practice. She currently works to build interdisciplinary connections and actions that support the well-being of both people and the planet. Lindsay is a member of the U of A Climate Change + Health Hub and regular CHAT facilitator.
Panelists
Arthur Chan, PhD, MSc
Arthur Chan is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at University of Toronto. His group studies the chemical composition of atmospheric pollutants to understand their sources, transformations, and impacts. Research interests focus on emerging organic compounds from sources such as nanoplastics, tire wear, cooking, wildfires, and other non-regulated emissions.
Fizzy Fan, PhD, MEM
Fizzy Fan is an Assistant Professor in Transportation Engineering at the University of Alberta. Her research examines transportation as a pathway linking climate change and health, including thermal comfort in travel environments, air-pollution exposure during wildfire and non-wildfire days, and equitable access to essential services. Her work supports healthier, more climate-resilient mobility systems.
Jim Johansson, PhD, MN, RN
Jim Johansson is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. He is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience in mental health settings. His research focuses on marginalized and “hard to reach” populations. His previous career was in wildfire management in Alberta, where he spent over a decade working on the front lines of wildfire as a wildland firefighter, supervisor, and educator.
Zhou Zang, MSc
Zhou (Joey) Zang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on atmospheric composition, climate-chemistry interactions, and surface air quality. Collaborating with the Ge-iSEE Lab at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, he integrates physical-based statistical modelling and machine learning to map high-resolution air pollution exposure, with a focus on ground-level ozone and PM2.5. His work provides critical spatially-explicit datasets to assess health exposure risks and support environmental epidemiology.