Dr Anna Yeung

About me

I completed a BSc in Molecular Biotechnology with Honours in Microbiology at University of Sydney before undertaking a PhD in Environmental Engineering at UNSW. My research career to date has centred around understanding microbes and utilising them in bioremediation work in the environment.

It was the opportunity to work on a project which studied the impacts of coal dust exposure on the lungs that introduced me to the respiratory world. It sparked my interest in occupational lung diseases which led to my current project on the health impacts of silica dusts in Prof Brian Oliver’s lab.

My Project

Inhaled silica particles causes damage to lung tissues and over decades of exposure, the damage develops into a fibrotic lung disease known as silicosis. It is commonly observed in mining and construction industries even in ceramics and stoneware masons where there are high levels of exposure to respirable dusts. The last decade saw a rise in an accelerated form of silicosis which is associated with dry-cutting and polishing artificial stone materials with silica contents above 90%, with workers often developing the disease within a year of exposure. My role in this project is to investigate the physical properties of dusts found at stone factories and relate them to cellular toxicities using in vitro lung models. I will also monitor the level of work-related dust exposures to assess the effectiveness and load capacities of protective equipment. The overall aim of the project is to reduce hazardous exposures to respirable silica dusts and improve the safety of workers.