About
Ehsan Mousavi is an Assistant Professor and Endowed Chair at the Department of Construction Science and Management (CSM) at Clemson University. Dr. Mousavi received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 2015, and he has served in various capacities in the construction industry including dam, road, building, and healthcare construction projects. Collaborating in projects funded by the US Department of Energy, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the National Science Foundation, Dr. Mousavi has developed extensive research background in hospital indoor air quality. Specifically, he has studied the effect of environmental parameters (Ventilation rate, ventilation arrangement, temperature, door motion, etc.) on the transmission and spread of pathogenic agents. Through collaboration with Prisma Health, several research proposals have been submitted and awarded to study the role of air quality in healthcare facilities design, operation, and maintenance. Moreover, he has received more than $400,000 of funding for his many collaborative research projects in the area of healthcare facilities’ air quality.
For more information, see his college profile.
How their research is transforming health care
The average U.S. healthcare facility uses three to five times more energy than a comparable size office building. More than two-thirds of total energy consumption is dedicated to maintaining environmental control and indoor air quality (IAQ). Yet, the issue of hospital air quality has remained utterly controversial. The main goal of Mousavi's research is to appraise the effect of environmental parameters on design, construction, operation, and maintenance (DCOM) of healthcare premises. In particular, questions are addressed as to how patient safety and the quality of care can be improved through the DCOM phases. The research results will be further implemented in the development of regulatory codes and standards. The COVID pandemic was greatly eye-opening pertaining to this field of research. It simply unveiled how much more we need to know to make the right decisions at the time of extreme events and disaster. Part of his current research efforts are focused on working with the right people to generate evidence for best practices during such events, shall they happen again in the future.
Existing healthcare premises need to transition into newer and more effective facilities in response to new demands. Due to the large expenses of building a new facility and the increasing use of modular elements, renovation has shown to be an effective solution to providing reliable health care facilities. Hospitals cannot afford a complete shut-down to proceed with the renovation. That is, the “construction” zone and the “functioning” zone coexist in a renovation project to minimize the down-time of the hospital. Under such conditions, two zones hosting two vastly different types of contaminants, are adjacent and cross-contamination is highly plausible. Research is needed to systematically measure the current efforts to minimize the impact of construction on patient safety and comfort.
News and media related to their research
- Why indoor spaces are still prime COVID hotspots - Nature
- Indoor Air Quality: What Can We Learn from Hospitals - iaqradio
