Researchers and students in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences work closely with industry and labor partners to promote workplace safety and investigate occupational health issues.
Our research examines on-the-job injuries, chemical and biological exposures, repetitive movement and vibration, sexual harassment, heat illness, MRSA infection and noise pollution, among other areas.
That research is informed by the services we provide, including worker training, workplace health and safety consultations, laboratory testing and our Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic. These services are in turn strengthened by our research and provide real-world training opportunities for our students.
Research spotlight
Uncovering workplace hazards as a medical detective
Dr. Robert Harrison delivers the 2026 Breysse Lecture on October 22
Tracking wildfire smoke to protect people in correctional facilities
DEOHS team monitors air quality at a Spokane-area correctional facility during the region’s catastrophic wildfires
UW ranked fourth in world and second in US for public, environmental and occupational health
Among US public universities, DEOHS programs top US News and World Report’s Best Global Universities list