Director's Statement

I am proud of how the SCERC family has advanced our mission over the past year, despite uncertainty about funding and the layoffs affecting many colleagues and friends in public health organizations. The SCERC leadership team has been busy trying new things to improve our programs, exploring alternative sources of funding, and eyeing the federal budgeting process. Be assured that we are planning for a long future! The Los Angeles fires demonstrated why our programs our so important. SCERC faculty, staff and students stepped-up to perform research and service to assist affected communities and workers, leading many to being recognized for their leadership and contributions. I am grateful for the solidarity in our community, and I wish everyone a happy New Year!

Dr. Rachael Jones, SCERC Director

2025 at a Glance 

A look back at the people, activities, and partnerships that helped drive our mission forward in 2025.

SCERC's Impact by the Numbers

Behind the Numbers 

This year’s accomplishments reflect SCERC’s growing reach and commitment, our responsiveness to emerging occupational safety and health challenges, and our meaningful contributions to research and professional practice.

Below are a few notable highlights from 2025 that showcase the impact we’ve made together.

Responding to the Aftermath of the 2025 LA County Wildfires 

In January 2025, devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles County, with the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities among the hardest hit. In response, SCERC mobilized quickly to support residents, workers, and occupational safety and health professionals engaged in cleanup and recovery efforts.

To better understand wildfire-related hazards, Dr. Candace Tsai, Industrial Hygiene Program Director, and Industrial Hygiene Alumni (25) Hope Davey, conducted smoke and ash sampling in fire-impacted and downwind communities. Their work is helping identify inhalation risks and inform strategies to protect families and workers during recovery.

The SCERC brought critical occupational and environmental health and safety information directly to the community by participating in virtual public information sessions and maintaining a list of resources and opportunities to assist our Los Angeles community. SCERC Director Dr. Rachael Jones, participated as a panelist in a virtual forum hosted by the R&S Kayne Foundation Los Angeles and KCRW - “Wildfire Cleanup Questions: Health Concerns, How Long It Takes, Insurance, and More”  - to address questions and concerns related to environmental health and safety. 

Trainees, faculty, and staff have played a vital role throughout recovery efforts. Amanda Pineda, a first-year Industrial Hygiene master’s student, served as lead student on a State of California–funded wildfire exposure study. Under the guidance of Dr. Jones (PI) and Dr. Tsai (co-I), the research team visited fire stations and burned sites to collect data and support firefighters in reducing exposure risks.

Through the SCERC's Outreach Program, staff have been leading a project, funded by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), to train, medically evaluate, fit test and distribute respiratory protection to day laborers, domestic workers, and workers in other informal arrangements throughout Los Angeles County. We thank Dr. Kristin Cummings & Constancia Dominguez-Voong from CDPH, the LADPH Office of Worker Health and Safety, Patricia Rizo from Esperanza Community Housing, Pomona Economic Opportunity Center (PEOC), Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA), and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) for their support in ensuring workers receive this crucial resource. 

Training Safety and Health Professionals

Research in Action

SCERC Director, Dr. Rachael Jones, and Industrial Hygiene Alumni (25), Eden Dawit, conducted a qualitative study to explore the perspectives of California fire service personnel on the use of respiratory protective devices and a potential Cal/OSHA regulation mandating their use on wildland and wildland-urban interface fires. These research findings are intended to inform both practice and policy. 

Access to this publication is available below under 'industrial hygiene.'

Leadership & Policy Impact

SCERC faculty continue to foster scientific progress, knowledge of all aspects of occupational health and safety, and shape policy at the state level. 

At the 8th International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases, held in August 2025, Dr. Jian Li, a tenured Professor of Work and Health at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, and Program Director in the SCERC, received the Mid-Career Award from the International Commission on Occupational Health Scientific Committee on Cardiology in Occupational Health (ICOH-CVD), in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the research and practice of Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases, as a mid-career investigator. 

ICOH-CVD serves a professional network of researchers, occupational health physicians and public health workers throughout the world concerned about the impact of work and work-related factors on cardiovascular health. Linking economic globalization to the changing nature of work and its impact on the risk of CVD, and focusing on research, worksite interventions, and public health, the committee focuses on identifying work-related risk factors for CVD, the interplay of social class, work and health, interventions to reduce the burden of unhealthy jobs, and public policy concerns to foster change in working conditions.

Hamid Arabzadeh, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, was appointed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to the Smoke and Claims Remediation Task Force.

The task force was established in response to concerns about how insurance companies handle smoke damage claims following major wildfire events, including the Eaton and Palisades fires. 

“I am honored to have been appointed to the task force by Commissioner Lara to assist in development of a set of science-based guidelines for evaluation and remediation wildfires impacts,” said Arabzadeh, a fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association who is also board certified in industrial hygiene and both safety and hazardous materials management.

Expanding Leadership in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 

SCERC is proud to announce that three alumni have accepted postdoctoral and faculty positions in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing across the United States: 

1. Dr. Mayumi Saiki - Recent PhD Candidate in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing at UCLA is now a Postdoctoral Scholar at Vanderbilt University. Her dissertation focused on capturing the effect of work-family conflict associated with psychological and physiological changes, using biomarkers prior to the development of cardiovascular disease.
2. Dr. Megan Guardiano - Recent PhD Candidate in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing at UCLA is now a Clinical Instructor at California State University, Channel Islands. Her dissertation focused on work stress and cognitive function among workers in the United States.
3. Dr. Elizabeth Keller - Recent Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA has accepted an Assistant Professor position in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at The Christ Hospital. She is thrilled to be joining this team and contributing to the advancement of nursing education and practice.

These appointments highlight SCERC’s commitment to developing the next generation of leaders in occupational and environmental health.

Looking Ahead to 2026

In 2026, the SCERC will continue expanding partnerships, advancing research, and training the next generation of OSH leaders to protect workers and communities. 

2025 Publications from Our Trainees, Faculty, and Alumni