General Lab Information

Katia Lamer

Scientist and Director of Operations of the Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing, Cloud Processes & Measurement Science, Environmental and Climate Sciences Department

Katia Lamer

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Environmental and Climate Sciences Department
Bldg. 490, Room 2-3
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-7095
klamer@bnl.gov

Dr. Katia Lamer is a Scientist in the Department of Environmental and Climate Sciences at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Director of Operations of its Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing. She has broad interests in both Earth Sciences and sustainability, but her scientific work is mostly focused on atmospheric boundary layer process and remote sensing technology. Katia was born in Canada and attended McGill University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Earth System sciences in 2013 and a master's degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences in 2014. She then moved to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. degree at PennState University under the supervision of Dr. Eugene Clothiaux. Her Ph.D research, was focused on interfacing ground-based remote sensing observations and general circulation models to evaluate their representation of mixed-phase clouds. For this purpose, she created the (GO)2-SIM forward simulator as an objective tool that converts model output to observables. Following graduation, Dr. Lamer worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the City College of New York with Jimmy Booth, where she investigated the impact of large-scale conditions on the properties of rain in subsidence regimes. Since she joined Brookhaven National Lab in 2019 Dr. Lamer has been applying her knowledge of remote sensing and atmospheric science to urban challenges. She led the development of BNL’s mobile observatory and continues to develop innovative ways to collect observations of atmospheric boundary layer properties in cites for a broad range of applications ranging from climate resilience, environmental justice, and national security.

Expertise | Research | Education | Publications | Awards

Expertise

  • Urban micro-meteorology
  • Boundary layer flow and turbulence
  • Remote sensing
  • Cloud and Precipitation proceses
  • Model evaluation

Research Activities

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, U.S

  • Assistant Scientist in Environmental and Climate Science under M. Jensen, 2021-present
  • Research Associate in Environmental and Climate Science under A. Vogelmann, 2019-21

City University of New York, City College, New York, U.S.

  • Post-Doctoral Researcher in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences under J. Booth, 2019

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S.

  • Graduate Assistant in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science under E. Clothiaux, 2015-19

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • Research Assistant in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences under P. Kollias , 2015
  • Undergrad. Research Assistant in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences under P. Kollias, 2014
  • Undergrad. Research Assistant in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences under P. Kollias, 2013
  • Undergrad. Research Assistant in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences under P. Kollias, 2012
  • Undergrad. Research Assistant in Geology under A. Mucci, 2011

Education

  • Ph.D, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science from PennState under E. Clothiaux, 2015- 19
  • M.S., Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from McGill University under P. Kollias, 2013-14
  • B.S., Earth System Science from McGill University, 2010-13

Selected Publications

  • Lamer K, Luke EP, Walsh BJr, et al (2022) Going mobile to address emerging climate equity needs in the heterogeneous urban environment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-21-0336.1
  • Lamer K, Luke EP, Mages Z, et al (2022) The impact of heat and inflow wind variations on vertical transport around a supertall building – The One Vanderbilt field experiment. Science of The Total Environment 851:157834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157834
  • Kirshbaum DJ, Lamer K (2021) Climatological sensitivities of shallow-cumulus bulk entrainment in continental and oceanic locations. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1175/jas-d-20-0377.1
  • Lamer K, Kollias P, Battaglia A, Preval S (2020) Mind the gap – Part 1: Accurately locating warm marine boundary layer clouds and precipitation using spaceborne radars. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 13:2363–2379. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2363-2020
  • Lamer K, Kollias P (2015) Observations of fair-weather cumuli over land: Dynamical factors controlling cloud size and cover. Geophysical Research Letters 42:8693–8701. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015gl064534
  • Lamer K, Kollias P, Nuijens L (2015) Observations of the variability of shallow trade wind cumulus cloudiness and mass flux. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 120:6161–6178. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014jd022950

Awards & Recognition

  • Spotlight Award in recognition of exceptional job performance, 06/2021
  • Spotlight Award in recognition of exceptional job performance, 12/2020.
  • Canada Steamship Lines Award, McGill University, 08/2013.
  • Research Scholarship for the M.S. degree, Fonds de Recherche Nature et Technologies, 04/2013.
  • Student Undergraduate Research Award, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sc., McGill University,  04/2013.
  • Undergraduate Research Conference, 2nd Recipient, Earth Science, McGill University, 10/2012.
  • Student Undergraduate Research Award, Earth Planetary Science, McGill University,  06/2011.
  • Salme Nommik Bursary, McGill University, 10/2011.
  • Tim Hortons Scholarship, McGill University, 10/2010.

Press Releases and Media

  • Science Story in WIRED. “This Laser-Firing Truck Could Help Make Hot Cities More Livable” story and quotes prepared by Matt Simon, 08/09/2022
  • Science Story in TBR Newsmedia. “BNL’s Katia Lamer studies urban heat in Houston and New York” story and quotes prepared by Daniel Dunaief, 08/05/2022
  • Feature Story on the Brookhaven National Laboratory web page. “Mapping Urban Heat From the Ground Up” story and quotes prepared by S. Kossman, 07/19/2022
  • Science story in Grid News. “Summer thunderstorms are getting more violent. Is something supercharging them?” by Dave Levitan, 07/11/2022
  • Feature on the Brookhaven National Laboratory web page. “Top-10 Areas of Amazing Science at Brookhaven Lab in 2021” by Karen McNulty Walsh and Stephanie Kossman, 12/29/2021
  •  Science story in Inside Climate News. “Is This Street Now Cooler Than It Was?” story and quotes prepared by Katelyn Weisbrod, 10/16/2021
  • Feature Story on the Brookhaven National Laboratory web page. “Mobile Observatory Surveys Manhattan Atmosphere” story and quotes prepared by S. Kossman, 09/24/2020
  • Research Highlight in the 2020 ARM Annual Review. “Look to the Clouds to Represent Rain in .Large-scale Model” highlight and quote prepared by A. E. Hunzinger, 10/2020
Katia Lamer

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Environmental and Climate Sciences Department
Bldg. 490, Room 2-3
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-7095
klamer@bnl.gov

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