Yiqun Ma
Pre-doctoral Fellow, Climate Change and HealthAbout
Research
Publications
2026
A Comparative Analysis of Wildland Fire Smoke PM2.5 Exposure Estimates Across California From 2008 to 2018
Connolly R, Nguyen J, Walker A, Wilkins J, Ma Y, Aguilera R, Chen C, Gershunov A, Casey J, Qiu M, Zhang D, Liu Y, Benmarhnia T, Jerrett M, Marlier M. A Comparative Analysis of Wildland Fire Smoke PM2.5 Exposure Estimates Across California From 2008 to 2018. GeoHealth 2026, 10: e2025gh001575. PMID: 42317211, PMCID: PMC13273639, DOI: 10.1029/2025gh001575.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCommunity Multiscale Air Quality modeling systemChemical transport modelAir quality modeling systemExposure estimatesAir pollution trendsFine particulate matterHealth impact studiesPollution trendsLong-term exposureParticulate matterPollution exposureExposure metricsHealth effectsHigher concentrationsExposure surfacesTransport modelImpact studiesExposureWildfireCaliforniaPollutionData setsCensus tract levelFireMatterDifferential Health Impacts of Short‐Term Particulate Matter Exposure in Arid and Semi‐Arid Regions: A Scoping Review
Norris E, Bailey J, Ma Y, Goswami A, Aarons S, Benmarhnia T. Differential Health Impacts of Short‐Term Particulate Matter Exposure in Arid and Semi‐Arid Regions: A Scoping Review. GeoHealth 2026, 10: e2025gh001359. PMID: 42281775, PMCID: PMC13250701, DOI: 10.1029/2025gh001359.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDifferential health impactsRelative riskPM exposureShort-term PM exposureHigh riskPublic health burdenParticulate matter exposureHealth outcomesSemi-arid regionsScoping ReviewRespiratory mortalityEffect modificationEffect modifiersMortality riskRisk of morbidityHealth burdenHigh risk of morbidityMeta-analysisRisk factorsParticulate matterSemi-aridWeak evidenceRespiratory morbidityArid regionsRiskTwo-way fixed effects models in air pollution epidemiology: a proposed framework for model specifications and recommendations for future studies
Ma Y, Kaplan J, Rehkopf D, Huynh B, Kiang M, Benmarhnia T. Two-way fixed effects models in air pollution epidemiology: a proposed framework for model specifications and recommendations for future studies. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2026, kwag069. PMID: 41885476, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwag069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAir pollution epidemiologyPM2.5 concentrationsAir pollution epidemiology studiesTwo-way fixed effectsRespiratory hospitalizationsDecision-making frameworkFixed effectsEpidemiological studiesFixed effects modelComprehensive decision-making frameworkPM2.5AirEffects modelConcentrationModel selectionHospitalEpidemiologyModel choiceDecision-makingEquivalence testingTwo-way fixed effects modelsPermutation testCaliforniaSpatial Heterogeneity in Synergistic Effects of Extreme Heat and NO2 Exposures on Cardiorespiratory Hospitalizations in California
Ma Y, Chen C, Aguilera R, Gershunov A, Jerrett M, Connolly R, Marlier M, Benmarhnia T. Spatial Heterogeneity in Synergistic Effects of Extreme Heat and NO2 Exposures on Cardiorespiratory Hospitalizations in California. Epidemiology 2026, 37: 437-446. PMID: 41790999, PMCID: PMC13218587, DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001970.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEffects of extreme heatSynergistic health effectsCardiorespiratory hospitalizationsNO2 exposureCase-crossover analysisDevelopment of targeted intervention strategiesLow socioeconomic statusEthnic minority residentsHigh air pollution levelsExtreme heatSpatial heterogeneitySocioeconomic statusExcess riskHospital dataAir pollution levelsCalifornia DepartmentMeta-RegressionRERISpatial Bayesian hierarchical modelIntervention strategiesMinority residentsHospitalVulnerable communitiesCommunity characteristicsBayesian hierarchical modelCo-occurring climate hazards and compound health effects in California: a scoping review
Connolly R, Ma Y, Villanueva M, Schollaert C, Bekker C, Jerrett M, Benmarhnia T, Marlier M. Co-occurring climate hazards and compound health effects in California: a scoping review. Environmental Research Health 2026, 4: 012001. DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ae3ed9.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsHealth outcomesAdverse health outcomesHealth effectsExposure assessment techniquesClimate hazardsWeb of ScienceEffects of climate stressorsUnderserved communitiesScoping ReviewBirth outcomesDisadvantaged populationsClimatic eventsEquity impactsEnvironmental justice implicationsDiverse populationsEffects of climatic eventsClimate stressorsWildfire smokeAir pollutionPubMed databaseVulnerable communitiesClimate exposureSpatial variabilityCo-exposureCalifornia populationDaytime and nighttime heatwave intensity and acute care utilization for mental and neurological disorders in California
Ma Y, Guirguis K, Jones-Ngo C, Teyton A, Brown H, Charlson F, Jerrett M, Connolly R, Gershunov A, Marlier M, Benmarhnia T. Daytime and nighttime heatwave intensity and acute care utilization for mental and neurological disorders in California. Environmental Research Health 2026, 4: 011001. PMID: 41502548, PMCID: PMC12771553, DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ae3128.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute care utilizationCare utilizationPost-traumatic stress disorderNeurological disordersAnxiety disordersDepressive disorderStress disorderBipolar disorderConduct disorderMental disordersZip code tabulation areasPublic health practitionersCase-crossover studyDisordersHealth practitionersParkinson's diseaseAlzheimer's diseaseHeatwave intensityNeurological healthDetrimental impactAssociations of daytimeSchizophreniaAnxietySubtypesHeatwave exposure
2025
Compound Climate Exposures and Public Health: A Synthesis of Research and Future Directions
Marlier M, Connolly R, Ma Y, Jerrett M, Benmarhnia T. Compound Climate Exposures and Public Health: A Synthesis of Research and Future Directions. Annual Review Of Public Health 2025, 47: 305-323. PMID: 41150873, DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090924-113926.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSynergistic health effectsPublic health interventionsHealth effectsClimate exposureHealth outcomesHealth interventionsHealth frameworkEpidemiological evidenceClimatic eventsPublic healthAnthropogenic climate changeHealthExposure pathwaysSynthesis of researchWildfire eventsLack of informationClimate changeMethodological considerationsWildfireCo-occurCombined effectsClimateInterventionBurdenIndividual climatic eventsDisparities in NO2-related health burden prevalent across race-ethnicity and income groups in the United States
Chu L, Ma Y, Zang E, Huang L, Chen K. Disparities in NO2-related health burden prevalent across race-ethnicity and income groups in the United States. One Earth 2025, 8: 101387. DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101387.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHigh-income countiesRace-EthnicityNon-Hispanic black populationHealth burdenRacial-ethnic disparitiesRace-ethnic groupsIncome groupsLow-income countiesQuasi-Poisson regressionRacial-ethnic minoritiesMortality disparitiesUnited StatesHealthcare strategiesMortality burdenDescriptive statisticsRelative riskDisparitiesBlack populationNO2 exposureBurdenMortality rateCountyIncomeTargeted policiesMortalityExtreme Heat and Calls to Law Enforcement Related to Domestic Violence
Dey A, Rao N, Thomas E, Ma Y, Riley G, Benmarhnia T, Raj A. Extreme Heat and Calls to Law Enforcement Related to Domestic Violence. JAMA Network Open 2025, 8: e2530530. PMID: 40880082, PMCID: PMC12397886, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.30530.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTwo-stage interrupted time series analysis with machine learning: evaluating the health effects of the 2018 wildfire smoke event in San Francisco County as a case study
Dey A, Ma Y, Carrasco-Escobar G, Han C, Rerolle F, Benmarhnia T. Two-stage interrupted time series analysis with machine learning: evaluating the health effects of the 2018 wildfire smoke event in San Francisco County as a case study. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2025, 194: 2936-2944. PMID: 40663094, PMCID: PMC12527249, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaf147.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNeural network autoregressionPost-event periodCase studyIT frameworkRandomized Controlled TrialsInterrupted time seriesNatural experimentSan Francisco CountyIdentification strategyEthical issuesSmoke eventsWildfire smoke eventsCounterfactual scenariosMachine learning algorithmsRespiratory hospitalizationsInterrupted time series analysisWeather eventsHealth policy evaluationCausal effectsHyperparameter tuningLearning algorithmsTime series analysisQuasi-experimental designMachine learningPolicy evaluation
News
News
- September 24, 2024
Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke associated with higher risk of death
- August 21, 2024
Wildfires: what you need to know to stay safe
- August 19, 2024
Very hot weather is hazardous to your health, but there are ways to stay safe
- October 05, 2023
Canadian wildfire smoke associated with increased asthma cases in NYC