Interdisciplinary public health project at Roger Williams University will examine how Visium offers a critical layer of protection for institutions

October 08, 2024 — BRISTOL, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lit Thinking proudly announces that Roger Williams University (RWU) is among the first higher education institutions to study the effect of Far-UVC Visium technology in enhancing safety and reducing airborne pathogen risks within indoor environments.

“The project offers a number of opportunities for cross-disciplinary student training, while positioning the university to make real contributions to the scientific discourse on a topic of urgent importance to population health.”

The installation was spurred by a grant from the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence awarded to RWU Assistant Professor of Public Health P. Jacob Bueno de Mesquita, Ph.D. Dr. Bueno de Mesquita and students in his Human Health and Harmony Lab at RWU aim to demonstrate and communicate the powerful effectiveness of Far-UVC technology on reducing viral transmission and respiratory infections including coronaviruses and influenza viruses. The RI-INBRE award, a National Institutes of Health grant, enabled RWU’s partnership with Lit Thinking to access and install their UL-certified and third-party tested far-UVC devices in various settings at the university for study.

According to Bueno de Mesquita, the partnership with Lit Thinking represents an important collaboration between biomedical research and training at Roger Williams University and the implementation of Far-UVC as a proven public health strategy.

“A major environmental health problem facing society today is the lack of adoption of environmental strategies that we have available to prevent viral spreading and enable normal societal interaction despite ongoing waves of COVID-19, seasonal epidemics, and emerging pandemic threats,” said Bueno de Mesquita, an environmental health scientist with over a decade of experience investigating airborne viral transmission. “The project offers a number of opportunities for cross-disciplinary student training, while positioning the university to make real contributions to the scientific discourse on a topic of urgent importance to population health.”

“We are thrilled to see Far-UVC technology make its debut in a higher educational setting,” says John Rajchert, CEO, Lit Thinking. “We commend Prof. Bueno de Mesquita and Roger Williams University for their forward thinking and look forward to the positive impact it will have on the campus community and the benefit of more real-world research applications.”

Following a year of experimenting with the Visium technology installed at RWU, Bueno de Mesquita and his student-researchers plan to report their findings about its effectiveness and applications as a public-health model.

Roger Williams University FAR-UVC lecture

Roger Williams University Assistant Professor of Public Health P. Jacob Bueno de Mesquita, Ph.D teaching his class about the benefits of Lit Thinking’s Far-UVC technology being used in his classroom.

About Lit Thinking
Lit Thinking is a private technology firm dedicated to making indoor environments healthier and safer. With expertise in building technology and science, Lit Thinking harnesses the power of human-safe, Far-UVC technology to mitigate airborne pathogen risks effectively. Their state-of-the-art research, proprietary software, and innovative use of Far-UVC light empower businesses and individuals to create safer, healthier, and more productive indoor spaces.

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Lit Thinking
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