Chemical hazards

  Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park, once called trees the lungs of the city. Trees and shrubs filter a variety of air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter. But could they also benefit communities near airports by absorbing harmful ultrafine particles from aircraft exhaust?

Fishing for fun, food and cultural connection is a way of life in the Pacific Northwest. View the videos

Early in his career, Noah Seixas spent six months working on the assembly line of a rifle manufacturer in Massachusetts “to see what life was like on the line in a dirty, crappy factory.”

Even before she became a public health researcher, Rebekah Petroff was thinking like one. Rebekah Petroff PhD, Environmental Toxicology Hometown North East, PA Future plans A postdoc in human epigenomics at the University of Michigan, and a future academic career.

  Read the green cleaning fact sheet En Español

Hannah Echt’s passion for public health is something of a family tradition. Hannah Echt MS, Occupational Hygiene Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Favorite thing about Seattle: "The public transportation is really good. You can get pretty much everywhere you need to go on the bus or light rail."

Rachel Shaffer doesn't flinch from controversy. As a doctoral student in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Shaffer is wading into some of the most heated environmental health issues of our time. Her PhD work in environmental toxicology investigates the connections between air pollution and dementia. That's just the beginning.

Exposure to the toxin cadmium, a known human carcinogen, leads to accelerated cognitive impairment, even at levels found in people who do not smoke cigarettes, according to a new animal study fro

We all expect the kitchen of our favorite eatery to be spotless. But cleaning chemicals used to combat foodborne illness can harm workers and the environment.

Dr. Il Je Yu's research links human environmental exposure to toxicology, specializing in inhalation toxicology with occupational toxicology, nanotoxicology, safe chemical management and industrial hygiene, including exposure assessment.

Debra Cherry, M.D., M.S., is a board certified physician at Harborview, director of the UW Medicine Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency and a UW associate professor of General Internal Medicine and an adjunct associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. 

Dr. Yijie Geng is Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health. He received his BS in biological sciences and bioengineering from Tsinghua University and his PhD in cell and developmental biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Diana Ceballos is an assistant professor in the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. Her life’s passion is to address health disparities by identifying environmental factors that cause disease, injury or impairment.

Dr. Rachel M. Shaffer works on chemical assessments in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Dr. Shaffer has a broad background in environmental health sciences, with graduate training spanning experimental toxicology and human epidemiological research as well as experience in science policy and risk assessment.

Dr. Peckham is an environmental scientist in the Hazardous Waste Management Program in the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, where he designs and conducts environmental and occupational health research to help reduce toxic exposures to workers and residents of King County. Dr. Peckham earned his PhD, MS and MPA from the University of Washington.  

Dr. Judit Marsillach is Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health. In May 2021, she was appointed as the Sheldon D. Murphy Endowed Chair in Toxicology and Environmental Health.

Dr Leme works with Professor Faustman in DEOHS in her Current Topics in Risk Assessment courses, which includes aspects of chemistry and toxicology. Their work together focuses on sustainability and reduced animal use around the globe, trying to provide the basis for current discussions on global sustainability and global acceptance of non-animal testing.

Research Services Program Manager/Toxicologist employed by the Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County (Haz Waste Program) at Public Health -- Seattle & King County. Responsibilities include setting the research agenda for the Haz Waste Program and supporting the research needs of both internal and external stakeholders.

I became interested in the characterization of urban air quality after working in Beijing in the mid-1990s. I make measurements to model the spatial and temporal distribution of pollutants. I am particularly interested in bringing new methods and technologies into exposure assessment for air pollution health studies.

Dr. Sprugel has worked in preclinical research and development in the biotechnology industry in Seattle for over 25 years, including work at ZymoGenetics, PathoGenesis and Chiron. She is currently a Scientific Director in Toxicology Sciences at Amgen in Seattle, where she works on safety assessments and nonclinical development strategies for drugs in the areas of inflammation and oncology.

Anne M. Riederer, MS, MSFS, ScD is an environmental health scientist focused on assessing exposures of young children and pregnant women to heavy metals, pesticides, and other environmental neurotoxicants. Before moving to Seattle, she was: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2010-2012) hosted by Dr.

Dr. Ponce is an Executive Vice President, Nonclinical Development at Shape Therapeutics, a gene therapy company focusing on RNA editing (Seattle, WA). Prior to this position he was Sr.

Dr Onstad works with the Washington State Department of Ecology as an Industrial Enforcement Specialist, which involves water quality regulation of industrial effluents that impact surface water, groundwater and wastewater treatment plants.  She gives guest lectures in undergraduate courses about water and sampling.

Dr. James Meador is an environmental toxicologist with NOAA Fisheries in Seattle. He earned a PhD in aquatic toxicology from the University of Washington and has more than 30 years' experience in the field. Jim's research interests include exposure assessment and characterization of toxic effects for metals, PAHs, tributyltin, PCBs and contaminants of emerging concern.

Dr. Mazengia is a Public Health Scientist specializing in Environmental Public Health, Microbiology and Epidemiology of food and waterborne pathogens.

Therese Mar received her PhD in 1998 from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences - Toxicology Program. Her doctoral research was on the toxicokinetics of toluene in men and women under exercising and resting conditions.

Dr Lu is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Sciences in the College of Resources and Environment at Southwest University in Chongqing, China. His teaching and research is focused on environmental physiology and toxicology.  He assists Chinese students from Zhejiang University to apply for graduate studies within DEOHS. 

Dr. Lorenzana's work focuses on study design, community engagement and development of effective community outcomes relating to toxicant exposures coming from the outdoor environment. Her interests include translating science knowledge and research products for use in environmental health decisions and science policy development. Dr.

Dr. Tom Lewandowski is a toxicologist and chemist working in the Seattle, WA office of Gradient, a science consulting firm. He received his Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Washington School of Public Health in 2000. He also holds an MPH in environmental health from the University of Michigan. Dr.

Steven G. Gilbert, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Director and Founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (INND), received a Ph.D. in Toxicology in 1986 from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, and is a Diplomat of American Board of Toxicology.