Environmental and Occupational Health

David Michaels, PhD, MPH
Research Professor and Interim Chair

Department of Environmental & Occupational Health
2100 M Street, NW, Suite 203
Washington, DC 20037
202-994-1734
www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/eoh/

Who We Are

The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health is the academic home for education and research in population health and its relationship to the environment. We explore the interconnectedness between human health and the natural, physical, social and economic environment using a variety of data sources, methodologies and outcome measures.

The Department's mission is to increase the body of knowledge that addresses the adverse health effects of chemical, physical, biological, mechanical, ergonomic and organizational factors associated with environmental and/or occupational exposures; to disseminate knowledge through the education of students, health practitioners, community groups, policymakers, the public and press; and to apply that knowledge to decision-making in illness and injury prevention.

Faculty and staff in the Department have earned a national reputation as researchers and leaders in articulating how public health science is best used in regulatory decision-making, and are called on frequently by congressional committees, federal agencies, national scientific organizations, international public health entities, and the press to discuss environmental hazards and the policies addressing them. Through www.DefendingScience.org and the public health blog, "The Pump Handle," (http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com), members of the Department provide analysis, commentary, and background research on public health topics in a manner accessible to the general public.

Academic Programs

These academic programs attract students who desire expertise in the public health sciences, especially as it informs environmental and occupational health policy and practice:

Students and faculty in Environmental and Occupational Health have developed tutorials on a variety of EOH issues and hazards.

Faculty Research Expertise

Risk assessment, management and communication
Regulatory science
Assessment and control of environmental hazards
Work-related injury and disease epidemiology and prevention
Children's environmental health
Healthy homes (e.g., lead poisoning prevention, asthma management)
Microbial risk assessment
Climate change and its public health impacts
Global environmental health
Community emergency preparedness
Use and misuse of scientific evidence in the legal and regulatory arenas
Communicating complex EOH issues to the press, policymakers, and general public

Selected Research Programs and Community Activities

Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment is a federally-funded center, cosponsored with the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, providing technical expertise to clinical providers and community groups. It is the only Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for EPA Region III, covering Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy (SKAPP) engages scientists, legal scholars and policy makers in the use of scientific evidence for public health decision-making. For more information, visit www.DefendingScience.org.
The Center for Risk Science and Public Health provides rigorous analysis of environmental and occupational health risks to link scientific advances with public health policy.

Faculty

Contact Us

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
2100 M St., NW, Suite 203
School of Public Health and Health Services
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: (202) 994-1734
Fax: (202) 994-0011
Email: eohjip@gwumc.edu
Web site: www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/eoh/

Interim Department Chair: David Michaels, PhD, MPH

Click here for links to additional EOH resources.