Award Winner: Jemma Forgie

2023

Nano-Mazes for Better Smoke Protection

Introduce yourself…

I am a master’s student in the Textiles and Clothing program in Human Ecology. I am fascinated by textile science, and love doing research which connects science, industry, and everyday life. I am also an avid crafter and maker, and you can often find me working on my latest knitting project outside of research.

What are you researching and what do you hope comes out of your research?

I study firefighter protective clothing. Currently, firefighters are at a high risk of cancer due to their exposure to carcinogenic gases and vapors. I’m working on creating a membrane that can be integrated into protective clothing to lower exposure to these gases and vapours. I believe that this membrane can be a solution to lowering firefighter’s carcinogen exposure and increasing their occupational safety.