Jennifer D. Stowell

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Jennifer D. Stowell

Assistant Professor

stowellj@umd.edu

SPH2234T

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Jennifer Stowell is an environmental epidemiologist who studies how extreme environmental exposures—especially wildland fire smoke and heat—affect human health. Drawing on public health and geoscience, she uses large health claims datasets, chemical transport models, and spatial and statistical methods to understand the population-level impacts of climate-related hazards, with particular attention to inequities and risks for pregnant people, infants, and children. Her work has included research at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University, Boston University, and now the University of Maryland, where she leads and collaborates on projects with important public health implications. Her current research focuses on prescribed-fire smoke, combined environmental exposures, and the health risks wildfire smoke poses during pregnancy and early life.

Dr. Stowell is accepting new PhD students for 2027.

Department Information

Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health

Expertise:

Extreme weather events, natural disasters, wildfires, air pollution, compound hazards, climate epidemiology, environmental health, global health

Awards and Funding:

1R01HD119447-01A1: Impact of Extreme Heat, Wildfire Smoke, and Community- level Social Vulnerability on Maternal Health
NIH-LRP, 2022-2027: Characterizing Wildland Fire Vulnerability: multi-pollutant, multi-hazard, and social determinant approaches
CACHE Award: Effects of Outdoor Wildfire PM2.5 on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia
BU Ignition Award: Characterization of climate-induced wildfire exposure during the preconception, prenatal, and postpartum periods
Research Fellowship Award: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), 4-year paid fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Training and Education:

Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Health, 2023
Boston University, School of Public Health

PhD, Environmental Health, 2020
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health

MPH, Environmental Health, 2015
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health

BS, Geography, 2008
Brigham Young University

Select Publications:

Li L, Hao H, Stowell JD, Gargulinski EM, Maji KJ, Reid CE, Odman MT, Chang HH, Soja A, Liu Y. “Prenatal exposure to prescribed smoke PM2.5 and low birth weight in Georgia, USA.” Environment International, 2026.
Krecl P, Wright CY, Basart S, Matz CJ, Tong D, Stowell JD, Sofiev M. “Wildfire smoke and human health: a global perspective on respiratory risks and emerging interventions.” Environment & Health, 2026.
Abadi AM, Brumfield KD, Usmani M, Jiang G, Chakraborty TC, Wang Y, Zhou Z, He C, Qui M, Stowell JD, Fritz D, Kuma S, Guo Q, Xiong Y, Destouni G, Xiao Q, Hu XC, Fong KC, Hang Y, Nielsen-Gammon J, Habre R, Bratburd JR, Tessum CW, Jutla A, Colwell RR, Filippelli GM, Nguyen TH. “Developing scenario-based strategies for health, climate, and environmental preparedness: The One Health, One Earth approach.” GeoHealth, 2026.
Maji KJ, Li Z, Hu Y, Stowell JD, Milando CW, Vaidyanathan A, Wellenius GA, Kinney PK, Russel AG, Odman MT. “Impact of Prescribed Fire Emissions on Ambient PM2.5 and its Components in the Southeastern US.” ACS Environmental Au, 2026.
Romanello M, Walawender M, Hsu SC, et al., “The 2025 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: climate change action offers a lifeline.” The Lancet, 2025.
Martin, GK, Stowell JD, Kinney PL, Anenberg SC. “A health impact assessment of changes in NDVI on all-cause mortality across 1,041 global cities.” Environmental Research Letters, 2025.
Stowell JD, Maji KJ, Li Z, Hu Y, Vaidyanathan A, Milando C, Russell AG, Kinney PL, Odman MT, Wellenius GA. “Associations between PM2.5 from prescribed burning and emergency department visits in 11 Southeastern US states.” Environment International, 2025.
Stowell JD & Wesselink AK. “Susceptibility and Vulnerability of Children to Wildfire Smoke Exposure: Important Considerations and Remaining Knowledge Gaps.” Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 2025.
Stowell JD, Sue Wing I, Romitti Y, Kinney PL, Wellenius GA. “Emergency Department Visits in California Associated with Wildfire PM2.5: Differing Risk Across Individuals and Communities.” Environmental Research: Health, 2025.
Stowell JD, Sun Y, Gause EL, Spangler K, Schwartz J, Bernstein A, Wellenius GA, Nori-Sarma A. “Warm Season Ambient Ozone and Children’s Health in the USA.” International Journal of Epidemiology 2024.
Maji KJ, Li Z, Vaidyanathan A, Hu Y, Stowell JD, Milando C, Wellenius G, Kinney PL, Russell AG, Odman T. “Estimated Impacts of Prescribed Fires on Air Quality and Premature Deaths in Georgia and Surrounding Areas in the US, 2015–2020.” Environmental Science & Technology, 2024
Stowell JD, Ngo C, Jimenez MP, Kinney PL, James P., “Development of a Global Urban Greenness Indicator Dataset for 1,000+ Cities.” Data in Brief, 2023.
Stowell JD, Sun Y, Sun S, Spangler KR, Milando CW, Bernstein A, Weinberger KR, Wellenius GA. “Warm-Season Temperatures and Emergency Department Visits among Children with Health Insurance.” Environmental Research: Health, 2022.
Heaney A, Stowell JD (co-first author), Liu JC, Basu R, Marlier M, Kinney P. “Impacts of Fine Particle Matter from Wildfire Smoke on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health in California.” GeoHealth, 2022.
Stowell JD, Yang CE, Fu JS, Scovronick NC, Strickland MJ, Liu Y. “Asthma exacerbation due to climate change-induced wildfire smoke in the Western US.” Environmental Research Letters, 2022.
Stowell J, Bi J, Al-Hamdan M, Lee H, Lee S, Freedman F, Kinney P, Liu Y. 2020. “Estimating PM2.5 in Southern California using satellite data: factors that affect model performance.” Environmental Research Letters, 2020.
Stowell JD, Geng G, Saikawa E, Fu J, Yang CE, Zhu Q, Liu Y, Strickland MJ. “Associations of wildfire smoke PM2.5 exposure with cardiorespiratory events in Colorado 2011-2014.” Environment International, December 2019.
Stowell JD, Kim YM, Gao Y, Fu JS, Chang HH, Liu Y. “The impact of climate change and emissions control on future ozone levels: Implications for human health.” Environment International, August 2017.

Select News/Media:

“What to know about bad air caused by wildfires and how to protect yourself” PBS News, July 2026
“Signs of concern for kids playing outside with bad air from Canadian wildfires” 11 Alive Atlanta, July 2026
“Limited Access to Air Conditioning Linked to Increased Emergency Care Demands Amid Wildfire Smoke Exposure” Science Mag, January 2025
“Persistent brush fires burning in Mass. | What's trapping the smoke, smell” NBC10 Boston, October 2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDdN9RCyKE)
“How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke” New York Times, July 2024
“As wildfire smoke spreads, millions of Americans lack access to respiratory care” PBS NewsHour Weekend, July 16, 2023 (https://youtu.be/bRkMkV1ZpHs)
“Air Quality Index: How Hazardous is Wildfire Smoke?” New York Magazine, June 2023
“Air quality map: How much smoke is affecting your town?” NBC10 Boston, June 2023
“Wildfire Smoke Blots Sun & Prompts Health Alerts in Much of U.S.” New York Times, June 2023
“Is it Safe to Exercise if the Air Is Hazy with Wildfire Smoke?” New York Times, September 2020