Dr. Takaro is a physician-scientist trained at the University of Washington, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program. His work is directed primarily toward determining if linkages exist between occupational or environmental exposures and disease and finding public health based preventive solutions where such hazards exist. Research interests are in gene-environment interactions in immunologically-based lung disease and fibrosis, indoor-air hazards, surveillance and field use of biomarkers for medical surveillance and risk assessment with mixed exposures. His practice includes nuclear weapons workers with beryllium and other pulmonary exposures, and children and adults with asthma and other chemically related illness.

In March 2015, Dr. Takaro was awarded with the President’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability at Simon Fraser University.