REP: Investigating asthma's home triggers
The University of Texas at Arlington has awarded funding to research teams to launch new investigative projects. The Research Enhancement Program (REP), administered by UTA’s Office of Vice President for Research and Innovation, offers seed funding to investigators to help them test new ideas and explore new directions that could lead to future innovations and more competitive proposals for external funding from federal agencies and nonprofit foundations.
In our research series, we highlight six of these grants.
Researchers: Insung Kang, assistant professor of civil engineering; June Young Park, assistant professor of civil engineering, College of Engineering
Research focus: How mold and dampness inside homes affect asthma and well-being
What’s the idea?
The overall goal is to better understand how indoor environments affect respiratory health and identify ways to create healthier living spaces. The project will examine how mold inside homes may contribute to asthma and well-being outcomes, especially in low-income households. Researchers plan to collect mold samples from indoor and outdoor air, surfaces and dust, along with indoor air quality data, from 80 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Additionally, the team will assess participant asthma-related health outcomes, including asthma control, quality of life, stress and sleep quality, to evaluate how mold and dampness affect occupant health and well-being.
Why it matters
Asthma is one of the leading causes of illness-related hospitalizations and missed school days in the United States. Researchers say indoor air pollution and mold exposure can worsen asthma symptoms, especially in vulnerable and low-income households. The study could help researchers better understand how housing conditions affect health and why some communities face greater risks from poor indoor air quality.
Real-world use
The findings could help public health officials, housing agencies and homeowners identify better ways to reduce mold exposure and improve indoor air quality. Researchers hope the work will support healthier housing strategies, asthma prevention efforts and future public health policies focused on indoor environmental conditions.
Next steps
The research team will collect mold and dust samples from participating homes. Spore-trap analysis will be used to assess airborne and surface mold contamination, while DNA sequencing will provide a more comprehensive characterization of fungal diversity and community composition within the home. These findings will be related to indoor air quality, housing conditions, and asthma-related health outcomes.
In their words
“The findings are expected to advance scientific understanding of human exposure to indoor biological contaminants and air pollutants. Importantly, the findings will also highlight environmental and health disparities across racial and socioeconomic groups, directly informing policies and programs for mold remediation.” — Insung Kang
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About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.