Presenter

Kristine Danowski
Retired Analytical Chemist

Café Sci – (Not) Waiting to Exhale: Breath Analysis as a Diagnostic Technique

The need for rapid, accurate, inexpensive, and noninvasive diagnostic tools has been amplified by our recent COVID-19 pandemic. All of us have had blood tests, urinalyses, X-rays, and some of us have had MRIs, endoscopies, biopsies, fecal sampling, and colonoscopies. However, scientists and physicians have recently recognized human breath as a valuable diagnostic medium. Human breath is easily accessible and abundant, and many people are familiar with breath analysis through a breathalyzer, or blood alcohol monitor. Every time we exhale, our breath contains hundreds if not thousands of volatile organic compounds. In this talk, Kristine will discuss the techniques of breath analysis and the diseases it can diagnose and monitor.

About Kristine Danowski

Originally from Pittsburgh, Kristine Danowski has lived and worked all over the United States. She earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Smith College and completed her graduate work in analytical chemistry at the University of Texas. She was a laboratory manager at both the University of Arizona and UPMC. Kristine was a senior analytical chemist at The Dow Chemical Company in Michigan, where her research included materials characterization, calorimetry, chemical and biochemical sensors, and point-of-care medical devices and consumer products. After her work with Dow, Kristine trained graduate teaching assistants and taught various undergraduate chemistry courses in Texas and at several Pittsburgh-area universities. In her copious free time, Kristine is a writer, tutor, and full-time cat mom.

Register for Café Sci

The event is FREE to attend onsite and virtually, but preregistration is required! Carnegie Science Center would like to continue to offer programs like Café Sci, Women in STEM, and others. Please consider making a donation when you register. Once you sign up, you’ll get an email confirmation. Have a question for Kristine? You’ll be able to type your questions in the Q&A section during the presentation!