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Faculty Discuss Their Research on Why Masks Work

Part of the The Briefing: The Impact of COVID-19 Series

Duke University researchers who developed a simple, inexpensive technique to visualize the effectiveness of different masks used to protect against COVID-19 talked about their findings during a video conference call with the media Thursday.

Read: Visible Proof Masks Work

The researchers

Martin Fischer is a chemist and physicist at Duke University. As director of the Advanced Light Imaging and Spectroscopy facility, he focuses on exploring new optical contrast mechanisms for molecular imaging.

Dr. Eric Westman is an associate professor of medicine at Duke University. He was an early champion of masking as a means to curtail the spread of coronavirus, working with a local nonprofit to provide free masks to at-risk and under-served populations in the greater Durham, North Carolina, community.