Robins Lab - Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

Leader

Our research, teaching and service address a wide range of issues in environmental and occupational health, both in Southern Africa and in United States. Most of our research studies involve primary exposure and health status data collection and characterization in large-scale longitudinal field studies. In our approach to research we emphasize community-based participatory methods, capacity strengthening, and environmental justice. Major research areas and topics include ambient and indoor air pollution and aggravation of childhood asthma both in Detroit and in Durban, South Africa; and allergic and dust-induced occupational respiratory diseases (e.g., among Zambian copper miners, South African seafood processors, South African coal miners, and US automotive workers). This research is supported by current and recent RO1 grants from US federal institutes (National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety). These research efforts also are tied to teaching and service on two training grants directed by Professor Robins: the University of Michigan Education and Research Center funded by NIOSH, and the University of Michigan Southern Africa Program in Environmental and Occupational Health funded by the Fogarty International Center in NIH.