Faculty labs

Environmental and Occupational Health

Our faculty conduct novel, impactful, interdisciplinary research locally, nationally and internationally. Below are links to Environmental and Occupational Health faculty labs that highlight ongoing projects and research opportunities.

Environmental Exposure and Biomarker Lab

The Environmental Exposure and Biomarker Lab measures metal concentrations in environmental and biological samples in order to determine personal exposure to contaminants. We also examine molecular biomarkers that may be generated by exposure to environmental contaminants.

Environmental Health Literacy and Translation Lab

The Environmental Health Literacy and Translation Lab evaluates the role of environmental health literacy in helping communities better frame and respond to environmental health hazards. Current projects incorporate disaster research, asthma and air pollution, and Indigenous environmental health.

Methylmercury Lab

The Methylmercury Lab carries out research related to methylmercury cycling and exposure. Their goal is to mitigate methylmercury exposure among vulnerable populations. They use a multidisciplinary framework, including environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and epidemiologic studies, to fully understand the dynamics of methylmercury exposure.

Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory

The Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory uses a variety of bioinstrumentation to characterize work-related physical exposures and investigate their relationships with adverse health outcomes with an ultimate goal of promoting health and well-being at workplaces. We conduct both laboratory and field-based research studies to investigate underlying musculoskeletal injury mechanism in various work environment from computer work to heavy equipment operation.

Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory

The Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory uses a variety of tools and methods to investigate workplace hazards and environmental pollutants on safety and health outcomes in working populations and communities. They conduct a broad range of research in the commercial fishing industry, masonry workers, and the timber industry.

Spatial Health Laboratory

The Spatial Health Laboratory carries out diverse research related to health and place.

Given the spatially correlated nature of environmental and social health determinants, we use a multidisciplinary framework to fully understand how place influences health. The goal of this research is to inform policies and practices to create healthy communities and individuals.

Recent publications

(This is not an exhaustive list. We are still rebuilding our database of faculty publications. Visit individual faculty profiles for more extensive lists of their publications.)

2026

Azab, S.M., Anand, S.S., Doiron, D., Schulze, K., Brook, J.R., Brauer, M., Desai, D., Friedrich, M.G., Bangdiwala, S.I., Ho, V., Dummer, T.J., Poirier, P., Tardif, J.C., Teo, K.K., Lear, S.A., Hystad, P., Yusuf, S., Smith, E.E., de Souza, R.J., Awadalla, P., Black, S.E., Philippe, B., Dick, A., Hicks, J., Kelton, D., Kirpalani, A., BarthaKnoppers, M., Larose, E., Lee, D.S., Leipsic, J.A., Marcotte, F., Moody, A.R., Noseworthy, M., Parraga, G., Parker, L.A., Tu, J.V., Vena, J.E. (2026) Association of Air Pollution With Brain Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in Adults Living in Canada Stroke

Doiron, D., Jovanovic Andersen, Z., Bozigar, M., Habre, R., Hystad, P., Jarvis, I., Knapp, D., Luben, T.J., Patel, P., Pinto, J.M., Ritz, B., Volckens, J., Wellenius, G.A., Lee, J., Brauer, M., Brook, J.R., Adar, S.D. (2026) Integrating the physical environment into Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementias research: A Gateway Exposome Coordinating Center (GECC) agenda on gaps and priorities Alzheimer's & Dementia 22(4)

Taaime, N., Asseko, S.V., Carrijo, D.R., Celi, L., Kumar, A., Martin, M., Romani, M., Rothenberg, S.E., Seyfferth, A.L., Linquist, B.A. (2026) Water management impacts on the accumulation of potentially toxic elements in rice grain: A meta-analysis Agricultural Water Management 329

Logie, C.H., Admassu, Z., MacNeil, A., Hasham, A., Mbuagbaw, L., Evelia, H., Kagunda, J., Omondi, B., Gachoki, C., Chege, M., Mwangi, M., Gittings, L., Dorea, C., Hystad, P., Turan, J.M., Narasimhan, M. (2026) Associations between extreme weather events, resource insecurities, and HIV vulnerabilities with self-reported urinary tract infection symptoms among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya The Journal of Climate Change and Health 28

Winsor, G.L., Cook, J., Edwards, K., Gill, E., Petersen, C., Garlock, E.S., Griffiths, E., Ames, S.A., Erdman, L.M., Becker, A.H., Denburg, J.A., Patrick, D., Doiron, D., Jones, M., Dai, V., Al-Mamaar, K., Kwan, A., Lee, B., Mercada Mendoza, L., Sbihi, H., Azeez, R.M., Dai, D., Qiam, Y.C., He, S., Parks, J.G., Reyna, M., Bode, L., Duan, Q., Eiwegger, T., Goldenberg, A.J., Lotoski, L., McNagny, K., Surette, M.R., Takaro, T.K., Hystad, P., et al. (2026) Exposomics for childhood asthma medRxiv

Buqammaz, M., Almatrouk, J, Kile, M.L., Kincl, L. (2026) Policies and Interventions in Middle Eastern and North African Countries to Mitigate Heat Stress Experienced by Outdoor Workers: A Scoping Literature Review Current Environmental Health Reports 13

Gause, E.L., Kuriyama, A.S., Kirwa, K., Spangler, K.R., Hystad, P., Wellenius, G.A., Wise, L.A., Wesselink, A.K. (2026) Using wearable devices to measure personal heat exposure in a preconception cohort Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology

Rothenberg, S.E., Johnson, E.S., LaDu, J., Mary, L.S., Adams, J., Rice, K., Jackson, B.P., Tanguay, R.L., Truong, L. (2026) Zebrafish parental co-exposure to environmentally relevant levels of inorganic arsenic + methylmercury impacts neurobehavior in parents and progeny Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 123

Veltri, A., Pagell, M., Parkinson, M. (2026) Do regulatory inspections make workers safer? Journal of Safety Research 97

James, P., Suel, E., Lin, P., Hart, J.E., Rimm, E.B., Laden, F., Hystad, P., Hankey, S., Larkin, A., Zhang, W., Klompmaker, J.O., Coull, B., Yi, L., Pescador Jimenez, M. (2026) Assessing greenspace and cardiovascular disease risk through deep learning analysis of street-view imagery in the US-based nationwide Nurses' Health Study Environmental Epidemiology 10(1)