Occupational Health

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.

  Drinking coffee is linked to all kinds of health benefits, from reducing your risk of heart disease to potentially protecting you from cancer of the uterus and liver.

The UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) is celebrating the 57 new graduates who received their degrees this weekend. DEOHS Chair Michael Yost presided over a Friday ceremony at Foege Auditorium honoring the students, who earned Bachelor of Science, Master of Public Health, Master of Science and PhD degrees.

Research led by Environmental Health majors in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) was featured yesterday at the School of Public Health's Undergraduate Symposium.

Amanda Durkin BS, Environmental Health Hometown Hingham, MA Future plans A career in occupational health and an eventual MBA degree. “One thing I will miss about the UW is the opportunity for constant learning and growth.” - Amanda Durkin

Annie Doubleday MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health Hometown Shoreline, WA Future plans Working on air pollution and climate change issues at the state or local level. “The remarkable support I received from DEOHS faculty, staff and students made all the difference in my experience at the UW.”

Industrial hygiene wasn’t on the short list of career choices for Noah Seixas until he got an up-close look at a workplace incident that exposed millions of people to a hazardous chemical.

Washington is considered a national leader in efforts to reduce prescription drug overdose, thanks in part to changes in opioid prescribing practices championed by Dr. Gary Franklin.

“OK, who do we have next?” Dr. Esi Nkyekyer leans forward, listening intently as a medical fellow describes her next patient.

Growing up in the Middle East, Hamzah El-Himri experienced firsthand what can happen to communities when health and safety regulations are lacking.

On Thursday, Sept. 27, the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) kicks off our fall seminar series featuring a diverse array of speakers sharing the latest science on environmental and workplace health.

What’s the fastest-growing job category in America? You might guess tech or health care. But you’d be wrong.

In the mostly un-air-conditioned Pacific Northwest, summer temperature spikes can be uncomfortable. But for outdoor workers and other vulnerable groups, they can be deadly.  Research led by the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) has found that on hotter days:

From Washington’s swim beaches to Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers, students from the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) are getting an up-close look at their future careers as health and safety professionals this summer.

Stanley Freeman joined the University of Washington in 1977 for what was supposed to be a one-year stint to launch an industrial safety program. That short-term job turned into a 20-year career as he discovered his passion for teaching.

Eating salmon may be good for you, but catching them for a living could be hazardous to your health.

Vanessa Vargas showed up for her first day at her new job with her heart pounding so loud it nearly drowned out the sound of construction equipment at the Seattle building site where she had been hired as a carpenter apprentice. Vargas was the youngest person on the work site, the least experienced—and the only woman.

Miriam Calkins PhD, Environmental and Occupational Hygiene Hometown Harvard, Massachusetts Future plans Associate Service Fellow, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

  Editor's note: Professor Michael Yost joined the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) in 1993 and was named department chair in 2014. 

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.

Barbara Silverstein is the Research Director of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program.

Walt Rostykus, Vice President and Ergonomics Engineer for Humantech, has over 30 years of experience delivering and managing ergonomic, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental programs.

Dr. Ponce is a Scientific Director in the Comparative Biology and Safety Assessment group at Amgen (Seattle, WA). Prior to this position he was Director of Preclinical Safety Assessment at ZymoGenetics, Inc. (Seattle, Washington).

Bruce Millies teaches occupational safety and health continuing education courses. He is a former lawyer who practiced environmental law, took a break from the law to earn an MS in environmental health from the University of Washington, and then somehow forgot to return to being a lawyer.

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.

As a dedicated Injury Epidemiologist, Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, and Interim Deputy Director for the new NIOSH Western States Division, Dr. Lincoln is known for having created the NIOSH Commercial Fishing Safety Research and Design Program.

Dr. Hu is a physician-scientist, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive (Occupational) Medicine, who most recently served as Professor of Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Global Health and Medicine and the Founding Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto (2012-2018). Previously, Dr.