Michael D. Sohn

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
One Cyclotron Road
Mail Stop: 90R2002
Berkeley, California 94720 U.S.A
510-486-7610
mdsohn@lbl.gov

Education

• PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1998, Carnegie Mellon University
• MS, Engineering and Public Policy, 1997, Carnegie Mellon University
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, 1992, University of California, Los Angeles
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, 1991, University of California, Los Angeles

Licenses

• Professional Engineer, Civil, License Number C65633
• General Building Contractor, License Number 992935

Employment

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Since 1998: Recent research topics include mathematical modeling of indoor air related to SARS-CoV-2 transport and transmission, large-scale tracer gas field experiments within cities and inside subways, mathematical modeling of urban airflow and pollutant transport, and Bayesian uncertainty analysis. Formerly served as Leader of the Sustainable Energy Systems Group in the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division and as Leader of the Airflow and Pollutant Transport Group in the Indoor Environment Department.
• McLaren/Hart Environmental Engineering, Burbank, CA (1992 to 1993)
• Environmental Science and Technology, Inc., Irvine, CA (1992)

Academic Activities

• Adjunct Professor, University of Miami, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering (2014-2017).
• PhD Thesis Committees:
  1. John Castellini: PhD 2023, University of Colorado, Mechanical Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor W. Zuo. Thesis title: Moving Beyond Well-Mixed Rooms: Developing Stochastic Surrogate Models to Predict In-Room Spatiotemporal Uncertainty in Airborne Contaminant Transport.
  2. Cary Faulkner: PhD 2023, University of Colorado, Mechanical Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor W. Zuo. Thesis title: Advanced Modeling for Sustainable HVAC Operation to Mitigate Indoor Virus Transmission in Office Buildings.
  3. Wei Tian: PhD 2017, University of Miami, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor W. Zuo. Thesis title: Coupled Simulation of Indoor Airflow, HVAC, Control, and Building Envelope.
  4. Sen Huang: PhD 2016, University of Miami, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor W. Zuo. Thesis title: Model Based Technologies for Enhancing Building Operation.
  5. Travis Walter: PhD 2015, UC Berkeley, Civil and Environmental Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor AJ Gadgil. Thesis title: Probabilistic Methods and Big-Data for Risk-Robust Building Systems.
  6. Massieh Najafi: PhD 2010, UC Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor DM Auslander. Thesis title: Fault Detection and Diagnosis of Building HVAC Systems.
  7. Priya Sreedharan: PhD 2007, UC Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering. Lead advisor: Professor WW Nazaroff. Thesis title: Bayesian Based Design of Real-Time Sensor Systems for High-Risk Indoor
• Three LBNL invention disclosures
1. Demand Response Potential Estimation Package, 2016. Alstone PM, Berger MA, Dunn LN, Piette MA, Potter JM, Schwartz PM, Smith SJ, and Sohn MD.
2. Probabilistic Algorithm for Sampler Siting, 2005. Sohn MD and Lorenzetti DM.
3. A Bayesian Statistical Algorithm for Interpreting Sensor Measurements in Real Time, 2003. Sohn MD and Gadgil AJ.
• Referee for journals: Annals of Occupational Hygiene, Atmospheric Environment, Building and Environment, Ecological Modelling, Energy and Buildings, Environmental Science and Technology, Groundwater, Groundwater Monitoring and Review, Indoor Air, Journal of Architectural Engineering, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Infrastructure Systems, Risk Analysis, Sensors, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Water Resources Research.

Journal Publications

1. Comparison of effectiveness and energy use of airborne pathogen mitigation measures to meet clean air targets in a prototypical office building. Building and Environment, submitted December 2023.
2. Walker IS, Less BD, Lozinsky CH, Lorenzetti D, Casquero-Modrego N, Sohn MD. Compartmentalization and Ventilation System Impacts on Air and Contaminant Transport for Multifamily Buildings. International Journal of Ventilation, submitted November 2023.
3. Faulkner CA, Jankowski DS, Castellini JE, Zuo W, Sohn MD. Comprehensive Analysis of Model Parameter Uncertainty Influence on Evaluation of HVAC Operation to Mitigate Indoor Virus: A Case Study for an Office Building in a Cold and Dry Climate. Building and Environment, submitted February 2023.
4. Faulkner CA, Jankowski DS, Castellini JE, Zuo W, Epple P, Sohn MD, Kasgari ATZ, Saad W. Fast Prediction of Indoor Airflow Distribution Inspired by Synthetic Image Generation Artificial Intelligence. Building Simulation, submitted October 2022
5. Castellini JE, Faulkner CA, Zuo W, Sohn MD. Quantifying Spatiotemporal Variability in Occupant Exposure to an Indoor Air- borne Contaminant with an Uncertain Source Location. Building Simulation, accepted November 2022.
6. Zhao H, Walker I, Sohn MD, Less B. (2022). A Time-Varying Model for Predicting Formaldehyde Emission Rates in Homes. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6603. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116603.
7. Faulkner CA, Castellini JE, Zuo W, Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD (2022). Investigation of HVAC operation strategies for office buildings during COVID-19 pandemic. Building and Environment, January 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108519.
8. Castellini JE, Faulkner CA, Zuo W, Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. Assessing the Use of Portable Air Cleaners for Reducing Exposure to Airborne Diseases in a Conference Room with Thermal Stratification. Building and Environment. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108441.
9. Faulkner CA, Castellini JE, Yingli L, Zuo w, Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. (2022) Tradeoffs among indoor air quality, financial costs, and CO2 emissions for HVAC operation strategies to mitigate indoor virus in U.S. office buildings. Building and Environment, August 2022, doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109282.
10. Walker I. Less B. Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. (2021). Development of Advanced Smart Ventilation Controls for Residential Applications. Energies 2021, 14, 5257. https:// doi.org/10.3390/en14175257.
11. Singer BC, Zhao H, Preble CV, Delp WW, Pantelic J, Sohn MD, Kirchstetter TW. An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Overhead HVAC on Exposures to Emissions from Speaking in a Physically-Distanced Meeting and Classroom. Indoor Air, accepted 2021.
12. Thacher E, Carlson T, Castellini J, Sohn MD, Variano E, Makiharju SA. Droplet and particle methods to investigate turbulent particle laden jets. Aerosol Science and Technology, accepted 2021.
13. Tang H, Chan WR, Sohn MD. Automating the interpretation of PM2.5 time-resolved measurements using a data-driven approach. Indoor Air, 31:860-871, 2021.
14. Preble C, Chen S, Toshifumi T, Sohn MD, Maddalena R, Russell M, Brown N, Scown C, Kirchstetter T. Emission Rates of Greenhouse Gases, Nitrogen Oxides, Odorous Species, and Volatile Organic Compounds for the Dry Anaerobic Digestion and Composting of Organic Municipal Solid Waste. Environmental Science and Technology, accepted 2021.
15. Bieringer PE, Pina AJ, Lorenzetti DM, Jonker HJJ, Fry RN, Sohn MD. A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Approach to Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for Transport and Contaminant Dispersion. Atmosphere, accepted 2021.
16. Sohn MD, Dunn LN. Exploratory Analysis of Energy Use Across Building Types and Geographic Regions in the United States. Frontiers in Built Environment, Section Urban Science, 5(105) 1-10, 2019, DOI:10.3389/fbuil.2019.00105.
17. Coll C, Sohn MD, Lindim C, Sobek A, MacLeod M. Prospects for finding Junge variability-lifetime relationships for micropollutants in the Danube river. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 21(9):1489-1497, 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9em00283a.
18. Sohn MD, Li X, Chan WR. Estimates of Pollutant temporal and spatial variability in commercial buildings from the Joint Urban 2003 Field Experiments. Indoor Air, 00:1-11, 2019, DOI: 10.1111/ina.12626.
19. Sohn MD, Delp WW, Fry RN, Kim YS. Analysis of a Series of Urban-Scale Chlorine Dispersion Experiments and Implications on Indoor Health Consequences. Atmospheric Environment, 212:83-89, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.05.010.
20. Dunn LN, Sohn MD, LaComarre KSH, Eto JH, Exploratory Analysis of High-Resolution Power Interupption Data Reveals Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity in Electric Grid Reliability. Energy Policy, 129: 206-214, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2019.01.042.
21. LaCommare KH, Eto JH, Dunn LN, Sohn MD. Eto JH, LaCommare KH, Sohn MD, Improving the Estimated Cost of Sustained Power Interruptions to Electricity Customers. Energy 153:1038-1047, 2018, DOI:10.1016/j.energy.2018.04.082.
22. Tian W, Han X, Zuo W, Sohn MD. Building Energy Simulation Coupled with CFD for Indoor Environment: A Critical Review and Recent Applications. Energy and Buildings, 165:184-199, 2018, DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.01.046.
23. Tian W, Sevilla TA, Zuo W, Sohn MD. Coupling fast fluid dynamics and multizone airflow models in the Modelica Buildings Library to simulate dynamics of HVAC systems. Building and Environment, 122: 269-286, 2017, DOI:10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.06.013.
24. Huang S, Zuo W, Sohn MD. A Bayesian network model for predicting cooling load of commercial buildings. Building Simulation An International Journal, 11(1): 87-101, 2017, DOI: 10.1007/s12273-017-0382-z.
25. Eto JH, LaCommare KH, Sohn MD, Caswell HC. Evaluating the performance of the IEEE Standard 1366 method for identifying major event days. IEEE PES Transactions on Power Systems, 32(2):1327-1333, 2017, DOI:10.1109/TPWRS.2016.2585978.
26. Wei M, Smith SJ, Sohn MD. Experience curve development and cost reduction disaggregation for fuel cell markets in Japan and the US, Applied Energy, 191:346-357, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.01.056.
27. Huang S, Zuo W, Sohn MD. Improving cooling tower control of legacy chiller plans by optimizing the condenser water set point. Building and Environment, 111:33-46, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.10.011.
28. Walter T, Sohn MD. A regression-based approach to estimating retrofit savings using the building performance database. Applied Energy, 179:996-1005, 2016 DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.07.087.
29. Huang S, Malara A, Zuo W, Sohn MD. A Bayesian network model for the optimization of a chiller plant's condenser water set point. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 11(1): 36-47, 2016, DOI:10.1080/19401493.2016.1269133.
30. Smith SJ, Wei M, Sohn MD. A retrospective analysis of compact fluorescent lamps experience curves and their correlations to deployment programs. Energy Policy, 98:505-512, 2016, DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2016.09.023.
31. Wei M, Smith SJ, Sohn MD. Non-constant learning rates in retrospective experience curve analyses and their correlation to deployment programs. Energy Policy, 107:356-369, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2017.04.035.
32. Granderson J, Touzani S, Custodio C, Sohn MD, Jump D, Fernandes S. Accuracy of automated measurement and verification techniques for energy savings in commercial buildings. Applied Energy, 173:296-308, 2016, DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.04.049.
33. Herring SJ, Batchelor S, Bieringer PE, Lingard B, Lorenzetti DM, Parker ST, Rodriguez L, Sohn MD, Steinhoff D, Wolski M. Providing pressure inputs to multizone buildings models. Building and Environment, 101: 32-44, 2016, DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.02.012.
34. Zuo W, Huang S, Sohn MD. Amelioration of the cooling load based chiller sequencing control. Applied Energy, 168: 204-215, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.01.035.
35. Kiliccote S, Olsen D, Sohn MD, Piette MA. Characteriziation of demand response from commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, WIREs Energy Environ, 5:288304, 2016, doi: 10.1002/wene.176 DOE:10.1002/wene.176.
36. Dale LL, Karali N, Millstein D, Carnall M, Vicuna S, Borchers N, Bustos E, O'Hagan J, Purkey D, Heaps C, Sieber J, Collins WD, Sohn MD. An Integrated Assessment of Water Energy and Climate Change in Sacramento California: How Strong is the Nexus? Climatic Change, 132(2):223-235, 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s10584-015-1370.
37. Granderson J, Price PN, Jump D, Addy N, Sohn MD. Automated measurement and verification: Performance of public domain whole-building electric baseline models. Applied Energy, 144:106-113, 2015, DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.026.
38. Mathew PA, Dunn LN, Sohn MD, Mercado A, Custudio C, Walter T. Big-Data for building energy perfomance: Lessons from assembling a vary large national database of building energy use. Applied Energy, 140:85-93, 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.11.042.
39. Walter T, Price PN, Sohn MD. Uncertainty estimation improves energy measurement and verification procedures. Applied Energy, 130:230-236, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.05.030.
40. Bonvini M, Piette MA, Granderson J, Wetter M, Sohn MD. Robust on-line fault detection diagnosis for HVAC components based on nonlinear state estimation techniques. Applied Energy, 124:156-166, 2014, DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.03.009.
41. Wang Y, Sohn MD, Gadgil AJ, Wang Y, Lask KM, Kirchstetter TW. How many replicate tests do I need? - Variability of cookstove performance and emissions has implications for obtaining useful results. Energy for Sustainable Development, 20:21-29, 2014, DOI:10.1016/j.esd.2014.02.002.
42. Ookie M, Nasr A, Cappers P, Denholm P, Dudley J, Goli S, Hummon M, Kilicotte S, MacDonald J, Matson N, Olsen D, Rose C, Sohn MD, Starke M, Kirby B, O'Malley M. Demand response for ancillary services. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 4(4):1988-1955, 2013, DOI: 10.1109/TSG.2013.2258049.
43. Shin HM, McKone TE, Sohn MD, Bennett DH. Tracking contributions to human body burden of environmental chemicals by correlating environmental measurements with biomarkers. PLOS One, 9(3):e93678, 2014, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093678.
44. Herrmann IT, Mauschild MZ, Sohn MD, McKone TE. Confronting uncertainty in LCA used for decision support. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 18(3):366-379, 2014, DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12085.
45. Parker ST, Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. Implementing state-space methods for multizone contaminant transport. Building and Environment, 71:131-139, 2014, DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.09.021.
46. Breen MS, Schultz BD, Sohn MD, Long T, Langstaff J, Williams R, Isaacs K, Meng QY, Stallings C, Smith L. A Review of Air Exchange Rate Models for Air Pollution Exposure Assessments. J. Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 24(6): 1-9, 2013, DOI: 10.1038/jes.2013.30.
47. Lorenzetti DM, Dols WS, Persily AK, Sohn MD. A stiff, variable time step transport solver for CONTAM. Building and Environment, 67:260-264, 2013, DOI:10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.05.008.
48. Walter T, Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. Siting samplers to minimize expected time to detection. Risk Analysis, 32(12):2032-2042, 2012, DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2012.01820.
49. Najafi M, Auslander DM, Bartlett PL, Haves P, Sohn MD. Application of machine learning in the fault diagnostics of air handling units. Applied Energy 96:347-358, 2012, DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.02.049.
50. Najafi M, Auslander DM, Haves P, Sohn MD. A statistical pattern analysis framework for rooftop unit diagnostics. HVAC and R Research, 18(3):406-416, 2012. DOI: 10.1080/10789669.2011.607881.
51. Lorenzetti DM, Sohn MD. Numerical solution of the Polanyi-DR isotherm in linear driving force models. Environmental Science and Technology, 45(23):10091-10095, 2011, DOI: 10.1021/es202359j.
52. Sreedharan P, Sohn MD, Nazaroff WW, Gadgil AJ. Towards improved characterization of high-risk releases using heterogeneous sensor systems. Building and Environment, 46:438-447, 2011, DOI:10.1016/j.buildenv.2010.08.006.
53. Price PN, Sohn MD, LaCommare K, McWilliams J. Method for evaluating risk from anthrax in buildings. Environmental Science and Technology, 43(6):1783-1787, 2009, DOI: 10.1021/es802506p.
54. Erickson V, Lin Y, Kamthe A, Brahme R, Cerpa A, Sohn MD, Narayanan S. Energy efficient building environment control strategies using real-time occupancy measurements. In Proceedings of the ACM BuildSys Conference. Berkeley, California, November 4-6, 2009, DOI:10.1145/1810279.1810284. This field archives publications in conference proceedings.
55. Schenker U, Scheringer M, Sohn MD, Maddalena RL, McKone TE, Hungerbuhler K. Using information on uncertainty to improve environmental fate modeling: A case study of DDT. Environmental Science and Technology, 43(1):128-34, 2009, DOI:10.1021/es801161x.
56. Redding LE, Sohn MD, McKone TE, Wang S-L, Hsieh PH, Yang RSH. Population physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling for the human lactational transfer of PCB 153 with consideration of worldwide human biomonitoring results. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(12):1629-1634, 2009, DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11519.
57. Price PN, Gadgil AJ, Sohn MD. Trade-offs between moving and stationary particle collectors for detecting a bio-agent plume. Atmospheric Environment, 41(38):8818-8824, 2007, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.09.048.
58. Sreedharan P, Sohn MD, Nazaroff WW, Gadgil AJ. Influence of indoor transport and mixing times scales on the performance of sensor systems for characterizing contaminant releases. Atmospheric Environment, 41(40):9530-9542, 2007, DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.08.039.
59. Sohn MD, Lorenzetti DM. Siting bio-samplers in buildings. Risk Analysis, 27(4):877-886, 2007, DOI:10.1111/j.1539-6924.2007.00929.
60. Sohn MD, Apte MG, Sextro RG, Lai ACK. Predicting size-resolved particle behavior in multizone buildings. Atmospheric Environment, 41(7):1473-1482, 2007, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.10.010.
61. Jayaraman B, Finlayson EU, Sohn MD, Thatcher TL, Price PN, Wood EE, Sextro RG, Gadgil AJ. Tracer gas transport under mixed convection conditions in an experimental atrium: Comparison between experiments and CFD predictions. Atmospheric Environment, 40(27):5236-5250, 2006, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.04.021.
62. Sreedharan P, Sohn MD, Gadgil AJ, Nazaroff WW. Systems approach to evaluating sensor characteristics for real-time monitoring of high-risk indoor contaminant releases. Atmospheric Environment, 40:3490-3502, 2006, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.01.052.
63. Chan WR, Nazaroff WW, Price PN, Sohn MD, Gadgil AJ. Analyzing a database of residential air-leakage in the United States. Atmospheric Environment, 39(19): 3445-3455, 2005, DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.01.062.
64. Maddalena RL, McKone TE, Sohn MD. Standardized approach for developing probabilistic exposure factor distributions. Risk Analysis, 24(5):1185-1199, 2004, DOI: 10.1111/j.0272-4332.2004.00518.
65. Sohn MD, McKone TE, Blancato JN. Reconstructing population exposures from dose biomarkers: Inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a case study. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 14(3):204-213, 2004, DOI: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500314.
66. Sohn MD, Sextro RG, Gadgil AJ, Daisey JM. Responding to sudden pollutant releases in office buildings: 1. Framework and analysis tools. Indoor Air, 13(3):267-276, 2003, DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0668.2003.00183.
67. Sohn MD, Reynolds P, Singh N, Gadgil AJ. Rapidly locating and characterizing pollutant releases in buildings: An application of Bayesian data analysis. Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, 52:1422-1432, 2002, DOI:10.1080/10473289.2002.10470869.
68. Sohn MD, Small MJ, Pantazidou M. Reducing uncertainty in site characterization using Bayes Monte Carlo methods. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 126(10):893-902, 2000, DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9372(2000)126:10(893).
69. Sohn MD, Small MJ. Parameter estimation of unknown air exchange rates and effective mixing volumes from tracer gas measurements for complex multi-zone Indoor Air models. Building and Environment, 34(3):293-303, 1998, DOI:10.1016/S0360-1323(98)00022-5.

Refereed Book Chapters

1. Gadgil AJ, Sohn MD, Sreedharan P. Rapid data assimilation in the indoor environment: Theory and examples from real-time interpretation of indoor plumes of airborne chemicals. Invited chapter in Air Pollution Modeling and its Applications XIX, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C, edited by Borrego C and Miranda AI. Springer Sciences, 2008.
2. Sullivan MJ, El-Sururi S, Sohn MD, Custance SR. Using SESOIL to predict groundwater concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons. Invited chapter in SESOIL in Environmental Fate and Risk Modeling, edited by Bonazountas M, Hetrick DM, Kostecki PT, and Calabrese EJ. Amherst Scientific Publishers, Amherst, MA, 1997.
3. Sullivan MJ, Deseran TM, Sohn MD, Custance SR, El-Sururi S, Ryer-Powder J. Evaluation of diesel in soil and groundwater using environmental fate and transport modeling: A SESOIL case study. Invited chapter in SESOIL in Environmental Fate and Risk Modeling, edited by Bonazountas M, Hetrick DM, Kostecki PT, and Calabrese EJ. Amherst Scientific Publishers, Amherst, MA, 1997.