Northwest Center for Occupational Health & Safety

NWCOHS ERC alumni, Yoni Rodriguez, has accepted a position of Assistant Professor with Central Washington University. Congratulations, Yoni!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yoni-rodriguez_publichealth-exposurescience-environmentaltoxicology-ugcPost-7437199031509950467-ZYrM?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADAjvrYBDJOYFrm_lmma35XB-2-Qag9RC08

Join us for Total Worker Health®: Advancing Well-Being in the Workplace.
Timeline: March 23 – May 4, 2026 (Virtual Instructor-led)
Who should attend: Health & safety pros, HR, educators, healthcare providers, labor leaders, risk management, and wellness specialists.
What you'll gain: You'll walk away fully equipped to apply TWH principles and effectively communicate its value across your organization effectively!
Register here:
https://ow.ly/s5Ol50YqqfC
Katia Costa-Black, Justin Molocznik MS CSP CHST, Liu-Qin Yang, Naomi DuCharme, Anjali Rameshbabu, PhD, I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, Emily (Yueng-hsiang) Huang, Liz Hill, Krista Brockwood, David Hurtado, Sarah Gaer

Johnny Nguyen, ERC Trainee, will be present during a Live (and free) Webinar on April 2nd at 12PM Pacific Time presenting on his dissertation work so far through the UW's Occupational Safety and Health Continuing Education in collaboration with the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NWCOHS). The webinar will focus on evolving lessons from evidence-based methods to characterize psychosocial exposures among nail salon manicurists and participant recruitment for this study.

Preliminary findings from the study will also be presented. We invite everyone to join!

https://lnkd.in/e9WJcYFV

NIOSH Employees Reinstated in Victory for Workers and Public

“This moment belongs to every single person who refused to stay silent,” said Dr. Micah Niemeier-Walsh, PhD, vice president of AFGE Local 3840 and an industrial hygienist at NIOSH. “Every rally, every media interview, every petition signature, every act of solidarity by NIOSH employees and our partners in the labor movement led to this victory of saving NIOSH.”


Read more: https://www.afge.org/article/niosh-employees-reinstated-in-victory-for-workers-and-public/

NPR Report - Kitchen countertop workers are dying. Some lawmakers want to ban their lawsuits

"An epidemic of a deadly lung disease among hundreds of workers who cut kitchen and bathroom countertops has regulators on opposite sides of the country considering two drastically different responses this week."

Read or listen to more: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5674884/kitchen-countertop-workers-are-dying-some-lawmakers-want-to-ban-their-lawsuits

NWCOHS ERC IH Program Director and Mentor, Marissa Baker, collaborated with UW EPI faculty member, Anjum Hajat, and Ohio State faculty member Jesse Plascak.

"US cancer mortality rates among working-age adults vary substantially by s*x, occupation, and cancer site, suggesting workplace-related exposures beyond carcinogens. These findings highlight the need to study how working conditions, structural inequities, and health-care access influence cancer mortality risk by occupation."

Listen to their interview with Lancet here: https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts/in-conversation-with/lanonc

Paper linked here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(25)00593-5/fulltext

ERC Trainee, Callan Krevanko, was featured in a Cascadia Daily News article about her work investigating potential health hazards for workers in cannabis production.

“The cannabis industry is pretty understudied historically because it is a Schedule I drug,” said Callan Krevanko, a PhD student who is leading the field research. “To our knowledge, we’re the first study that’s looking into these things. It’s a pretty ground-breaking study.”

Krevanko added, “They’re allowing us to come into their business because they care about their workers, so we like to make sure we’re individually reporting results back to them."

Read more: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/jan/04/uw-researchers-tackle-cannabis-workplace-health-hazards/

Meet our new chair, Dr. June Spector! A former director of the UW Occupational & Environmental Medicine (OEM) Program, which includes the OEM Clinic at Harborview Medical Center, she also recently served as occupational research physician and occupational disease prevention lead in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Safety and Health Assessment and Research Prevention Program, known as SHARP.
Her experience as a physician and a musician — she’s a lifelong violinist who plays in a community orchestra — is evident in her primary approach to leadership: as a listener. 🔗⬇️
Photos:
1. Dr. June Spector. Credit: Veronica Brace
2. Spector (in mask) playing violin in her community orchestra. Credit: Carlin Ma.

We're closing out 2025 with a look back at our top 10 stories of the year. Our students, faculty and staff served communities in Washington state and around the world -- from internships in Chelan to scientific projects in Ecuador, South Africa and beyond -- making discoveries that hold promise for a healthier future. Cheers and lux sit!
🔗⬇️
University of Washington School of Public Health

We're closing out 2025 with a look back at our top 10 stories of the year. Our students, faculty and staff served communities in Washington state and around the world -- from internships in Chelan to scientific projects in Ecuador, South Africa and beyond -- making discoveries that hold promise for a healthier future. Cheers and lux sit!

🔗⬇️
University of Washington School of Public Health

How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Occupational Health and Safety

"AI is increasingly used to predict risks, prevent injuries, and support long-term safety decision-making, while raising important questions about governance, ethics, and worker trust."

Read more: https://ohsonline.com/articles/2025/12/22/how-artificial-intelligence-is-reshaping-occupational-health-and-safety.aspx