Michael G. Yost, PhD, MS
About
Dr. Michael Yost is professor emeritus the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). He is also the director of the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center at DEOHS. A member of the DEOHS faculty since 1993, Dr. Yost was department chair from 2014 to 2024.
Dr. Yost’s research focuses on developing tools and techniques to measure environmental and occupational exposures using electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet, visible and infrared light or lasers. The technology has been applied to monitor pollution from car, train and marine traffic; to measure pesticide drift; and to detect hazardous and concealed materials.
His research also extends to investigating the impacts of climate change, heat events and nanotechnology on human health. He holds eight patents on products and processes. In 2017, Dr. Yost was named the winner of the Rachel Carson Award by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
Education
- PhD, University of California (Berkeley)
- MS, University of California (Berkeley)
- BS, University of California (Berkeley)
Affiliations
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health CenterMentorship
Please follow the instructions on the How To Apply page.
DEOHS Students Mentored
Implementation of a Glove-Based PPE Qualification Process for a Small-Scale R&D Lab in the Semiconductor Industry
Logan Kegley | MS Applied | 2017 | View
Assessing Potential Laser Strike Protection Engineering Control for United States Coast Guard Aircraft
Joe DeLauter | MS Thesis | 2016 | View
Overcoming Literacy and Language Barriers to Improve Safety Knowledge of Washington State Dairy Farm Workers
Daniel Grinnell | MS Thesis | 2015 | View
Nanoparticle Deposition in an Air Liquid Interface Cell Culture Exposure Chamber
Sara Lien | MS Thesis | 2014 | View
Extreme-Heat Exposure and Associated Health Outcomes in King County, WA: A Study of Historical Outcomes, Model Validation, and Heat-Risk Mapping
Tania Busch Isaksen | PhD | 2014 | View
Engagement
Equity, diversity and inclusion
A central focus of my engagement activities revolves around my role as the director of the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (PNASH). Despite steady declines in fatalities in the agricultural sector over the past 30 years, in 2020, workers in farming, forestry and fishing still experienced some of the highest fatal injury rates of all workers (21.5 deaths per 100,000 FTEs). These essential workers and workplaces often include populations in rural settings that are underrepresented in current research, including hired laborers, migrant and seasonal workers and farm families with children. PNASH is part of a nationwide network of federally funded agricultural research centers conducting research, education and prevention projects to reduce injury and illness in farming, forestry and fishing.
Community and research partnerships
PNASH conducts field-based research and engages a variety of partners in our work, including farmers, managers, loggers, fishers, farmworkers, trade associations, labor organizations, extension agents and community health providers. We view our partners as the experts in the co-development of solutions to reduce the burden of health and safety risks in agriculture.