About

Emma is a PhD Candidate in the Targeted Research Training Program at UCLA. 

What are your OSH interests/research focus? 

My research focuses on occupational exposure to emerging pollutants, integrating field sampling with in vitro and in vivo models to characterize their toxicity and carcinogenicity.

What is your motivation for being in the field of Public Health/Occupational Health?

My motivation for working in public and occupational health comes from a commitment to reducing preventable diseases linked to environmental and workplace exposures. Too often, substances are presented as non-toxic and rapidly introduced into workplaces and communities, leading to ongoing contact and the development of illnesses attributable to those very exposures. It has become normalized to wait to intervene only once people have become sick and to, at that point, reassess the chemicals, products, and environments to which they were exposed. I strive to shift this approach from reactive to proactive by using field sampling and a combination of vitro and in vivo models to identify and characterize hazards early, while they are still emerging and modifiable, rather than after they become embedded in routine practices. My goal is for my research to directly inform the development of safer products, workplace practices, and regulations so that protecting worker and community health becomes the default, not the exception.

Fun fact or something interesting you'd like to share about yourself: 

I prioritize spending my time off in nature, and this past summer I did ridge hikes in Switzerland and the Italian Dolomites.