Professional Activities

My main professional interests have been dust-related lung diseases such as silicosis, coal workers pneumoconiosis, and asbestos-related diseases.

Last Updated by Frank Hearl on January 7, 2007

I graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, and followed that with a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from M.I.T. In 1974, I was recruited to work for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) in Morgantown, WV.  Most of my professional work was involved with sampling and analysis of diesel exhaust emissions in underground coal mines.

In 1980, I worked for NIOSH's Environmental Investigations Branch in Morgantown, WV, as Research Team Leader. On or about 1983 I was selected as the Branch Chief. Working with the Epidemiology Branch Chief, we planned and carried out a joint study with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, Peoples Republic of China, to examine the relationship between silica exposure, silicosis, and lung cancer. We carried out workplace exposure studies in copper mines, iron mines, tin mines, tungsten mines and pottery factories. We quantified workers' exposure to silica, radon, metals, and diesel fumes.

In the early 1990's there was much work to publish the results of the Chinese silica studies, as well as the initiation of a National Initiative to eliminate silicosis. We worked with our partners in OSHA, MSHA, labor and industry, and academia, and sponsored a National Silicosis Conference in 1997. From 1997 to 2002, I worked as the Deputy Director of the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, in Morgantown WV..

The PHS has a 30-year retirement system, just like the other Uniformed Services. So in March 2004, I retired as a PHS Captain, and hung-up my uniform.

After a brief two months of retired bliss, NIOSH hired me back where I now work as Chief of Staff in Washington, DC. You can check out more about NIOSH at:

www.cdc.gov/niosh