Risk Assessment

It’s a fitting recognition of Lianne Sheppard’s dedication to research, teaching and public service that she received an endowed professorship at the UW in the same week as being tapped to chair a federal scientific committee.

Tips for choosing a portable air cleaner DO:

Without the cooling powers of trees, workers in deforested areas are less productive, according to new research from the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other collaborators.

How to wear a mask: best practices “Help keep Washington safe and healthy: Mask up,” read signs along Washington freeways, reminding drivers of the state’s mask mandate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Three teams including researchers from the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) will tackle projects on the health impacts of wildfire smoke and climate change, thanks to new pilot research grants from the UW

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In a year like no other, DEOHS faculty, students and staff quickly pivoted to tackle new threats posed by the pandemic. We contributed to Washington state's COVID-19 response, showed the effectiveness of self-sampling for the virus and assessed impacts on essential workers—not to mention our furry friends.

I work at the US Environmental Protection Agency as a physical scientist in the Radiation Protection program. Depending on the day, I may be developing radiological risk assessment tools, crafting risk communication products or supporting radiological emergency preparedness activities.

By the end of the century, heat exposure may lead to about 110,000 premature deaths annually across the United States given a high degree of climate warming, suggests a new study published in GeoHealth.

“How can we make our operating room safer during the pandemic?” When Dr. James Hecker, an anesthesiologist at UW Medical Center, heard this question from a fellow physician, he thought about the problem not just as a doctor but also as an engineer.

Can you reuse nonsurgical N95 respirators and KN95 and KF94 masks? Yes! Tips from DEOHS Assistant Professor Marissa Baker:  

Are our pets at risk for COVID-19? Recent reports of animals testing positive for the novel coronavirus—including a cat in Belgium, a dog in Hong Kong and, famously, a tiger in the Bronx Zoo—have pet owners worrying about their furry companions. Many also wonder whether pets can pass COVID-19 on to people.

After 18 years at the University of Washington, Peter Johnson, professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, will retire in mid-November.

According to the analysis, “strategic investments in a coordinated global-pandemics initiative would likely have a return ratio of between $17 and $20 on every $1 spent.” Curbing pandemics might also address shared global challenges, such as gender and social inequalities, and support climate adaptation and mitigation.

Jamie Vickery is a Research Social Scientist and the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Branch Chief within the Global Systems Laboratory’s Weather Informatics and Decision Support (WIDS) Division and an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences.

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.

Dr. Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning and the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington, where she is also affiliated with the Data Science program. As a geographer, Dr. Chen finds great interest in the synergy of machine learning and satellite imagery analysis.

Dr Chan is a Professor and Research Chair in Toxicology and Environmental Health at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

Dr Bai serves as a Research Professor and PI with the Ambient Particle Health Criteria Group in the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, in addition to serving as an adjunct professor and tutor of graduate students in several Chinese universities.

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.

Marc Stifelman is a Toxicologist at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 office, where he designs, prepares and oversees studies to assess exposure and health risks from environmental pollution, with a focus on heavy metals, mines and smelters. Mr. Stifelman’s expertise includes human health and exposures to environmental hazards, risk assessment and risk communication.

Dr. Burkhart is a geographer and climate scientist and is an Assistant Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. In this role, she works on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, conducting research on environmental risks and methods to include exposure to suboptimal temperature. Dr.

Dr. Kasner is an Assistant Teaching Professor with a research focus on leveraging technology to prevent injury and illness among working populations.

Elizabeth Walker has led coalitions seeking change throughout her career as a public health professional. She has a strong commitment to health equity and environmental justice; strengthening health systems and capacity-building; forming and managing effective collaborations; and enabling community-based solutions.

Michele Andrasik is a clinical health psychologist.