In this episode of the What's Work Got to do With It podcast, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences Associate Professor Emily Huang discusses how tools she and her research team develop can be used to help organizations measure their safety, health, and respectful workplace climates, information that can be used to improve workplace safety and retention.

Learn about Ryan Olson and Brad Wipfli's Oregon Healthy Workforce Center research. They discuss how their Total Worker Health interventions have helped decrease sedentary behavior (sitting time) and increase physical activity in the workplace. Dr. Olson shares insight into studying team truck drivers in the Tech4Rest study and Dr. Wipfli shares his research studying call center workers in the Active Workplace study. Dr. Ryan Olson is a behavioral and occupational health psychologist who...

The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon OSHA and SAIF Corporation signed the first state-wide Total Worker Health® Alliance to expand the knowledge and application of Total Worker Health® principles by leveraging the strengths of three state-based organizations. This unique Alliance is forging partnerships between Oregon's state OSHA, Oregon's not-for-profit, state-chartered workers' compensation insurance company, and an Oregon-based academic research institute. Liz...

Dr. Berrin Erdogan discusses factors leading employees to leave their jobs in large numbers, the resulting pressures and major challenges facing organizations and employees left behind and the opportunities arising from this experience to reshape the future of work. Dr. Erdogan is Professor of Management at Portland State University's School of Business. Her research focuses on the employer-employee relationship as it relates to employee well-being, effectiveness, engagement and retention...

In our latest podcast episode, we invite the Fishing Forward podcast team to share important research that can help improve the safety and health for commercial fishermen and their families. The Fishing Forward team brings stories of fishermen to the community. Fishing Forward is a podcast inspired by fishermen, for fishermen. Fishing Forward focuses on the well-being of the commercial fishing industry and is funded by the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety and produced by...

In our latest podcast episode, we highlight a 2021 Fall Symposium talk from Dr. Tori Crain where she addresses the topic of supporting low-wage essential workers' nonwork life during the pandemic and the numerous stressors they have faced and are still facing. Although much of the focus during the pandemic has been on the experiences of healthcare workers, essential vulnerable workers in other industries have not received the same attention. This talk highlighted obstacles faced by...

In this episode of "What’s Work Got To Do With It?" we highlight our 2022 Summer Intern Program. Each summer, undergraduate interns work with faculty mentors in basic and applied research over a three-month paid summer internship. Over the summer, interns conduct a research project in their host faculty member’s laboratory. OccHealthSci’s internship program begins in June and concludes in mid-to-late August with interns presenting their work at a poster session. We typically receive 100-145...

Dr. Miranda Lim is a neurologist with board certification in Sleep Medicine. She is an Associate Professor in Neurology with secondary appointments in Behavioral Neuroscience and Medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine, as well as an Affiliate faculty for our Institute, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences. Miranda also has a joint appointment as a Staff Physician and Research Investigator at the Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System. Dr. Lim’s research program, Sleep...

In Part 2 of the Inclusion and Worker Well-Being in the Trades series, we interview Tiffany Thompson, Director of Workforce Equity and Technical Assistance of Oregon Tradeswomen and Dr. Maura Kelly an Associate Professor of Sociology at Portland State University.  Both Tiffany and Maura support, engage and help workplaces gain tools and provide education for respectful workplace programs. They provide program support and research opportunities to help build capacity, such as investing...

Kelly Kupcak is the Executive Director of Oregon Tradeswomen’s Executive Director. Kelly is honored to be a part of the work and mission of Oregon Tradeswomen which helps women move into dynamic careers in the skilled trades so they can take care of themselves and their families. We invite one of Oregon Tradeswomen's partners and supporters, Larry S. Williams from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Larry manages the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program which is...

Charlice Hurst, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. Dr. Hurst teaches social entrepreneurship and social innovation. Her current research focuses on how to build an equitable workplace in the context of rapid changes to the economy and workplace. Dr. Hurt is also a co-developer of the Just Wage Framework and Tool, which consists of a set of seven criteria for determining the justness of a wage. The tool and framework are designed to...

Román Baca is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer. In 2001, recognizing his desire to defend the defenseless, he took a hiatus from dance and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a machine-gunner and fire-team leader in Fallujah, Iraq during the Iraq War. After the war, Román returned to dance and co-founded Exit12 Dance Company, which tells veterans’ stories choreographically, to increase cross-cultural understanding and heal divisions. Exit12 has...

What's Work Got to Do With Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-being? Cameron Homan is a Portland Firefighter and District Representative for Portland Fire Fighter Association Local 43. Cameron is a 3rd generation public safety worker, has been a firefighter for 10 years, with 5 of those years serving the Portland public and 4 years serving as a district representative for the Portland Firefighters Union. He is currently working in the Hollywood District at Station 28 and hails from Tacoma,...

On this episode of What’s Work Got To Do With It? we highlight our 2021 Summer Intern Program at the Institute and OHWC. Each summer, undergraduate interns work with faculty mentors in basic and applied research over a three-month paid summer internship designed to introduce them to biomedical and occupational health research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make the tough decision to cancel our summer intern program last summer in 2020, so we are excited to be able to host our summer...

What's Work Got To Do With NIOSH'S 50th Anniversary? Speaker: John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA Host: Anjali Rameshbabu, PhD Narrator: Helen Schuckers, MPH This year is the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) 50th anniversary. Since April 28, 1971, NIOSH has funded research, education and resources in occupational safety and health. “Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that created NIOSH to assure so far as possible every working person...

What's Work Got To Do With the Impacts Of COVID19 And Wildfire Smoke On Wildland Firefighters? Speaker: Luke Montrose, PhD Speaker Intro: Nicole Bowles, PhD Narrator: Helen Schuckers, MPH Dr. Luke Montrose is an environmental toxicologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Health at Boise State University, with research interests in public health, epigenetics, and chronic illness, particularly as it relates to vulnerable and understudied populations. Dr....

What's Work Got To Do With Farmworkers' Experiences During COVID? Speaker: Reyna Lopez, PCUN Executive Director (she/they) Narrator: Helen Schuckers, MPH Reyna Lopez's talk, "Essentially Forgotten?" was given at our Fall 2020 Spring Symposium where she addressed the impacts of COVID19 on the Latinx farm working community. Reyna Lopez is a leader and proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico, who came to Oregon in the late 80’s following the migration of farm work in the Marion County area....

What's Work Got To Do With Mental Health and Suicide Prevention In Construction? Guest: Steven Frost, LEED AP BD+C, CHST, ASP, CSP Host: Nichole Guilfoy The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates compared to other industries. In 2016, the suicide rate for men in construction and extraction occupations was almost twice the total suicide rate for civilian working men (16-64 years old) in 32 states and 5 times greater than the rate for all fatal work-related injuries in the...

What's Work Got To Do With Institute Researchers? Guests: Drs. Steven Shea, PhD, Caren Weinhouse, PhD, Andrew McHill, PhD, Charles Allen, PhD and Suzanne Mitchell, PhD Hosts: Sam Greenspan, MPH and Helen Schuckers, MPH As part of our Three Decades at the Institute Series, we wanted to highlight two special episodes where we highlight out scientist. We dive into the research of five basic scientists within our institute that conduct studies in areas related to sleep and shift work and its'...

What's Work Got To Do With Institute Researchers? Guests: Drs. Leslie Hammer, PhD, David Hurtado, ScD, Emily Huang, PhD and Kent Anger PhD, Hosts: Sam Greenspan, MPH and Helen Schuckers, MPH As part of our Three Decades at the Institute Series, we wanted to highlight two special episodes where we feature our scientists. In this episode, we learn about how four Institute scientists are improving workplace safety, health and well-being. Our guests include Drs. Leslie Hammer, PhD, David...

What's Work Got To Do With Safety Climate? Guests: Dr. Emily Huang Ph.D. (OccHealthSci), Dale Lindstrom (DeWitt Construction) and Demetra Star(Fortis Construction) Safety Climate is a snapshot of an organization’s perceived “state of safety,” at a point in time. Across many industries, a positive safety climate is associated with fewer accidents, higher job satisfaction, less turnover, and greater worker well-being. By measuring safety climate, organizations can identify behaviors, beliefs,...

What's Work Got To Do With Changing a Toxic Workplace Culture? 2020 Spring Symposia Speaker: Gian Lozano, MSW, MBA Narrator and Moderator: Helen Schuckers, MPH and Nichole Guilfoy Gian Lozano's talk, "Changing a Toxic Workplace Culture" was given at our May 2020 Spring Symposium, where speakers picked up where the Spring 2019 symposium left off and continued with a deeper dive into specific lessons and tips for effectively addressing and preventing workplace aggression in all industries and...

What's Work Got To Do With Three Decades at the Institute? Guests: Chuck Easterly, Michael Wood and Kathy Nishimoto Hosts: Anjali Rameshbabu, PhD, MS, MSc and Helen Schuckers, MPH On Part 2 of our Three Decades at the Institute series, we highlight stakeholders in our community that have been critical and important in the development of the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences research directions, as well as outreach and education programs through the years. These stakeholders...

What's Work Got To Do With Three Decades at the Institute? Guests: Drs. Peter Spencer, PhD, FANA, FRCPath, Steven Shea, PhD, Kent Anger PhD Hosts: Sam Greenspan, MPH., Dr.Anjali Rameshbabu, PhD, MS, MSc, Helen Schuckers, MPH We want to celebrate with our listeners three decades of research in occupational health and safety advancements here at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences. Our newest podcast episode is a part of a three episode series. In Part 1: Three Decades at the...