Media Contact: Javier Rojas, Javier.rojas@csun.edu, (818) 677-2130
California State University, Northridge professor Nasrin Golshany will be traveling to Brazil over the next year to conduct research on creating healthier environments for aging populations after being named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2026-27.
Golshany, an assistant professor of interior design in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has been recognized for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, an academic exchange program that is internationally recognized and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
“I am honored to represent CSUN through the Fulbright Program and excited to collaborate with colleagues in Brazil on research that has the potential to improve the lives of older adults and inform the design of healthier care environments worldwide.” Golshany said.
Fulbright Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. The Fulbright Specialist program deploys highly qualified American academics and professionals to share their expertise and strengthen institutions overseas.
In partnership with the University of São Paulo’s Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism, and Design (FAU-USP), Golshany will carry out research in Brazil. Her project will investigate how the health, well-being and quality of life of senior citizens residing in long-term care institutions are impacted by interior environmental quality, including lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort and air quality. The research project, titled “Health Environments for Aging: Indoor Environmental Quality and Well-Being in Brazilian Long-Term Care Facilities,” aims to find workable solutions for developing safer, healthier, and more supportive care environments while also enhancing circumstances for caregivers and medical professionals.
Golshany, who teaches in CSUN’s College of Health and Human Development, will conduct research, work with FAU-USP academics and students, give talks and workshops, and build international links between CSUN and one of the top research universities in Latin America. The project will be conducted in two phases: one during summer 2026 and the other during summer 2027.
With her award, Golshany will join more than 800 other Fulbright U.S. Scholar award recipients selected to teach or conduct research abroad over the next year.
Golshany, a leading researcher in the fields of architecture and healthcare design, has previously conducted groundbreaking research that examines how the built environment affects human health. This work emphasizes the importance of human-centered lighting, indoor environmental quality, evidence-based design, environmental psychology and promoting healthy aging.
Employing advanced research methods such as virtual reality and environmental simulation, her work aims to develop practical, evidence-based strategies that foster healthier, safer and more supportive environments for everyone.
“Receiving a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award is a tremendous honor and an opportunity to collaborate with outstanding colleagues in Brazil on research that addresses one of the world’s most important challenges: creating healthier environments for an aging population,” Golshany said. “I look forward to exchanging ideas across cultures, building lasting international partnerships, and bringing new knowledge and global perspectives back to CSUN to enrich the education of our students and advance evidence-based design research.”
The Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States through an annual appropriation by U.S. Congress to the State Department, and by partner countries around the world. In the United States, awards are given through the U.S. Scholars Program and the U.S. Student Program. Representing more than 165 countries, Fulbright alumni are leaders in politics, business, science, education and the arts. Fulbright recipients include 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 61 Nobel Prize laureates, 40 current or former heads of state or government, 76 MacArthur Foundation Fellows and 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, according to the State Department.
You can learn more about Golshany’s previous work with living environments here.
