About
The NORA Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and Other Chronic Disease Prevention Cross-sector Council brings together people interested in preventing work-related chronic diseases. Council members share information, form partnerships, and promote adoption and dissemination of solutions that work. Learn more about the Council and its members.
Outreach
Podcast on hazards for pregnant workers
A podcast series on the "Mother to Baby" website was part of a collaboration with the CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and the NORA Chronic Disease Councils. Dr. Jennita Reefhuis (CDC) and Dr. Carissa Rocheleau (NIOSH/NORA) describe workplace exposures that pregnant people may encounter working at:
- Hospitals, veterinary clinics, and airlines.
- Nail salons, hair salons, and warehouses.
- Military and other jobs.
Stress among first responders
The Council webinar "Stress and Cardiovascular Disease among First Responders: Data from the BCOPS Study" provides an update on the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study.
The BCOPS study is a long-term study by NISOH and partners that looks at the health effects linked to these job-related factors, including outcomes like hypertension, cardiac system dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease.
Cross-sector description
The Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and Other Chronic Disease Cross-sector addresses many types of health outcomes, including occupational cancers, adverse reproductive outcomes, and cardiovascular disease among workers. It also includes the evolving areas of occupational neurological and renal disease. Workers across many industry sectors are exposed to agents and workplace factors that may be carcinogens. They may also contribute to adverse reproductive outcomes such as
- Birth defects
- Developmental disorders
- Spontaneous abortion
- Low birth weight
- Preterm birth
Occupational risks for cardiovascular disease are not well understood yet. Evidence suggests that some toxins may contribute. Non-chemical workplace factors such as physical exertion, shift work, and psychosocial factors (e.g., job strain and other job stressors) may also play a role.
The NIOSH Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and Other Chronic Disease Prevention Program facilitates the work of the Council and coordinates NIOSH research in this cross-sector.
Members
The Council has several co-chairs — one co-chair from the NIOSH Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and Other Chronic Disease Prevention Program and a partner co-chair representing each of the three main health outcome areas (cancer, adverse reproductive outcomes and cardiovascular disease).
Current members
Name
Organization
Paul A. Demers, PhD
Co-Chair for Cancer
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Jian Li, MD, PhD
Co-Chair for Cardiovascular Disease
University of California, Los Angeles
Jennita Reefhuis, PhD
Co-Chair for Adverse Reproductive Health Effects
CDC/National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Taylor Shockey
Co-Chair, NIOSH Program Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Todd Stueckle, PhD, MA
Co-Chair, NIOSH Program Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Lauralynn Taylor McKernan, ScD, CIH
NIOSH Program Manager
CDC/NIOSH
Kimberly Anderson, PhD
NIOSH Program Co-Assistant Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Kristen Van Buren
NIOSH Program Co-Assistant Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Lindsey Gill
NIOSH Program Co-Assistant Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Paro Sen
NIOSH Program Co-Assistant Coordinator
CDC/NIOSH
Benjamin C. Amick III, PhD
Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Services
Kavita Batra, MPH, PhD
Univ of Nevada, Las Vegas
Laura Beane Freeman, PhD
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute
Michael L. Eisenberg, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine
Bernard Fontaine, Jr., CIH, CSP, FAIHA
Windsor Consulting Group, Inc.
Bridgette Garrett, PhD, MS
CDC/NIOSH
Hooman Golshahi, CIH, CSP, CRSP MSc
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Sara Jahnke, PhD
NDRI-USA
Candice Johnson, PhD
Duke University
Paul A. Landsbergis, PhD, EdD, MPH
SUNY Downstate School of Public Health
Tina Lawson, PhD
CDC/NIOSH
Leslie MacDonald, MS, ScD
CDC/NIOSH
James McIntosh, CIH, CSP
McIntosh Consultants; Marshall University
John D Meyer, MD, MPH
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Robert Nocco DABT, CIH, CSP
Chevron Corporation (retired)
Nicole Olgun, PhD
Gradient Corporation
Tyler Quinn, PhD
West Virginia University
Natasha Schaefer Solle PhD, RN
University of Miami
Mary Schubauer-Berigan, PhD
International Agency for Research on Cancer
Grace Sembajwe, ScD, MSc, CIH
Indiana University Bloomington
Emily Smith, MPH
Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America
John M. Violanti, PhD
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Nancy Wilk, HBSC, MHSC, CIH
WSP Canada
Andrea Wilkinson, MS, LAT, ATC
CDC/NIOSH
Juan Zuniga
United Steelworkers