Catherine Karr is a pediatric environmental medicine specialist and environmental epidemiologist. She has a primary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics, Joint in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, and Adjunct in Epidemiology. Her research areas include environmental contaminants and pediatric respiratory health including asthma, health of farmworker children, and global children's environmental health. Much of her research utilizes community engaged research approaches. She shares leadership of a large pregnancy cohort as part of the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. She is affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and Interdisciplinary Center for Exposures, Disease, Genetics and the Environment (EDGE). She has a general pediatric practice at the UW Pediatric Clinic at Roosevelt and also provides specialty pediatric environmental medicine consultation at this site and the Harborview Medical Center. As Director of the NW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), she sets the direction for outreach and education as well as responding to queries from health care providers, government officials and families regarding health risks associated with environmental exposures.
PhD, MD, MS
Professor
Research Interests
Pediatric environmental health. Air pollution. Asthma. Pesticides. Global children's environmental health. Farmworker health. Community-engaged research.
Mentorship
Available to mentor new Master's and PhD students in autumn 2020. Contact an adviser for more information
DEOHS Students Mentored
Development of a Citizen Science App to Collect Water Samples from Irrigation Canals
Kori VanDerGeest | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2019 | ViewSafe Siting for Early Care and Education Facilities
Orly Stampfer | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2018 | ViewUse of Low-Cost Sensors in Community-Engaged Research on Wood Smoke in the Lower Yakima Valley
Orly Stampfer | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2018 | ViewSafe Siting for Early Care and Education Facilities
Orly Stampfer | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2018 | ViewExploring Clinician Training on Pesticides and Child Health and Developing Curriculum Aimed at Enhancing Self-Efficacy
Margaret Willis | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2015 | ViewDeveloping tools for evaluating and enhancing clinician outreach training on pesticides and child health
Margaret Willis | MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) | 2015 | ViewProjects
This community based participatory study tests the effectiveness of combining a community healthworker asthma education program with portable home indoor air cleaners in order to improve indoor airand health of farm worker children with asthma
Projects
This collaboration with Blacksmith Institute and partner organizations in Vietnam is assessing lead poisoning among children in a lead battery recycling village and effectiveness of a clean up and education campaign.
Projects
This collaboration with global health researchers is examining cookstove air pollution exposures and health impacts in a vulnerable population.
In the news
Pregnant moms who breathe dirty air have children with lower IQs, study finds
August 13, 2019 | KQED | Featured: Catherine Karr | ViewEPA allows continued use of pesticide linked to developmental issues in children
July 19, 2019 | ABC News | Featured: Catherine Karr | ViewOffspring of pregnant women exposed to high level of pollutants may have lower IQs
July 19, 2019 | UW News | Featured: Catherine Karr, Sheela Sathyanarayana | ViewAir pollution is linked to low intelligence in babies
June 28, 2019 | The Times of London | Featured: Catherine Karr | ViewA global partnership for child health
February 21, 2019 | DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Catherine Karr | ViewEducation
PhD (University of Washington), MD (University of Washington), MS (University of Washington)
More Information
Teaching Interests
Clinical and public health trainees interested in environmental determinants of child health
ENVH 417
Contact information
Email
Tel
206-616-4355
Institution
University of Washington
Tel alt
206-221-8671
Fax
206-543-8123
PO Box
354695
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100
Seattle
WA
98105