Involving local communities is a cornerstone of Dr. Zimmerman’s research. As the Canada Research Chair in Real-World Air Quality Sensing, Dr. Zimmerman works to address the effects of air pollution, by developing low-cost sensing methods and real-world tools that can be implemented quickly and easily by communities, enabling them to make data-based decisions improving local air quality. Leading the iREACH (Integrated Research in Energy, Air, Climate & Health) Lab, she has done local and international research investigating Vancouver wildfire smoke, vehicle emissions in parking garages, community-based indoor air pollution monitoring in India, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions of autonomous vehicles, impacts from Vancouver cannabis cultivation on air quality, methods to monitor black carbon in the Pacific Northwest, air pollution hotspots in East Vancouver and how they impact vulnerable communities, and more. Local residents may have used her Smell Vancouver app to report the locations of strange smells, or seen her mobile lab, the PLUME van, driving along Vancouver streets to test the air quality in those locations.
The YWCA celebrated the extraordinary work of all 2025 nominees at their March 5th Announcing the Nominees event, marking the week of International Women’s Day (Saturday, March 8). Recipients of the Women of Distinction Awards will be announced at the YWCA’s Gala Event on April 28, 2025 at the Westin Bayshore, which is a fundraiser for the YWCA’s programs, services and advocacy work. Read about all the nominees and learn more on the YWCA Metro Vancouver website.