From Curiosity to Chromatograms: My Journey in Aerosol Research

Experience

Lab Immersion

At the Beirut Aerosol lab, I was exposed to an incredibly interdisciplinary space where engineering and public health met. Guided by Dr. Mario El Hourani, I explored how vape e-liquids are formulated from propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, learning how their ratios affect vapor density and throat hit. I also studied terpenes, aromatic compounds, and THC strains, gaining a chemical foundation for aerosol behavior.

Hands-on Experimental Work

Alongside the lab’s analytical chemist, I prepared toxicology samples by attaching e-cigarettes to puffing machines that simulate real-world smoking patterns, precisely weighing and mixing solutions with solvents like isopropanol before vortexing them for homogeneity. With the pharmacologist, I operated a gas chromatography (GC) system on these samples, learning how compounds separate within the stationary and mobile phases, and how retention peaks identify each constituent through specialized software.

Reflections & Skills Gained

Through this project, I learned that research is rarely linear. The precision this task required often meant rewatching the same footage dozens of times and re-evaluating my assumptions at each stage, or finding out that some data I had painstakingly gathered was irrelevant to the study. What first felt like frustration taught me persistence and adaptability. I strengthened my ability to analyze behavioral data, document methodology transparently, and translate observation into measurable variables.

Research

My Role in the Project

In the summer of 2024, I joined the Beirut Aerosol Lab at AUB. During my time in the lab, I contributed on a study investigating THC vaping behavior. Working under Dr. Mario El Hourani’s supervision, I led methodology design, participated in data collection, and manuscript preparation, gaining hands-on experience in the full research pipeline.

Aim & motivation

This study analyzed real-world THC vaping behavior using publicly available YouTube videos to address the lack of empirical data on puffing patterns. While nicotine vaping has been extensively studied, the effects and usage dynamics of THC vaping remain largely understudied. By examining over 450 inhalation events across 100 videos, the project sought to quantify puff duration and document user behaviors such as coughing and extended inhalation, creating a valuable data set enabling future research to quantify the health implications of these e-cigarettes.

Findings

The analysis revealed that average puff durations in THC vaping closely matched those in nicotine e-cigarette use, indicating that existing nicotine-based testing standards may serve as a valid starting point for THC aerosol research. However, observed behaviors—like prolonged inhalation and user-reported harshness—highlight the need for THC-specific testing protocols that reflect real-world usage patterns.

Operating the Puffing Machine