Harvey Checkoway, PhD, MPH, BA

Professor, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences (primary department)
Professor, Epidemiology

Director, UW Superfund Basic Research Program Project

Dr. Checkoway is a Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. His main areas of research and teaching are occupational and environmental risk factors for chronic diseases. Recent examples of research projects for which he is principal investigator are studies of: environmental and genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease; occupational exposures and risks for cancer and parkinsonism among Shanghai women textile workers; parkinsonism among welders. Dr. Checkoway teaches a course in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (ENVH/EPI 570). He is Director of the UW Superfund Basic Program Project funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Checkoway is also lead author of "Research Methods in Occupational Epidemiology," New York: Oxford University Press, 1st edition 1989, 2nd edition 2004.

Contact Information
University of Washington
Office: F-561F
Box 357234
1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195-7234
Tel: 206-543-2052
Fax: 206-685-3990
checko@u.washington.edu

Research Interests
Occupational and environmental epidemiology; Chemical and physical hazards; Epidemiologic methods; Cancer; Parkinson's disease

Teaching Interests
"Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology" (ENVH/EPI 570), Spring quarter

Education
PhD, Epidemiology, University of North Carolina 1978
MPH, Epidemiology, Yale University 1975
BA, Psychology, Boston University 1971

Projects
"Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health"4/1/11-3/31/16 NIH/NIEHS
The major goal of this center is to foster multi-disciplinary research on the interplay between genetics and environmental toxicants as causal factors in human disease.


"Superfund Hazardous Substance Basic Research Program - Effects-Related Biomarkers of Environmental Neurooxic Exposures" 4/1/09 - 3/31/14 NIH/NIEHS
This is a Program Project-type grant consisting of 5 research projects and 3 cores, all focused on developing biomarker approaches to assessing human and ecological health effects at hazardous waste sites. Project #2 (Project Director) pertains to risks for parkinsonism related to welders' metal exposures and risks for parkinonism.


"Cancer Risks Among Women Textile Workers in China" 4/11/08-3/31/13 NIH/NCI.
The major goals of this project are to estimate site-specific cancer risks in relation to textile industry exposures among women textile workers in Shanghai, China


"Risk of Parkinson's Disease Associated with Aspirin and Other NSAIDs" 5/1/09-4/30/12 NIH/NINDS
The major goals of this project are to evaluate risks for Parkinson's disease associated with aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medications in a cohort being actively followed for cardiovascular and neurological disease outcomes (the Cardiovascular Health Study). The potential mediating role of circulating blood proteins that indicate inflammation status will be examined.


"Endotoxin Exposure and Risk of Parkinsonism" 7/1/09-6/30/14 NIH/NIEHS
The major goals of this project are to estimate dose-response relations between occupational endotoxin exposure and risk, severity, and progression of parkinsonism among women textile workers in Shanghai, China.


"Characterization of Exposure and Response Biomarkers among Welder Apprentices" 10/1/10-9/30/13 NIH/NIEHS
The major goals of this project are to validate exposure and response biomarkers related to welding metal exposures in peripheral blood and CNS, and to test relations of biomarkers with motor task performance.


"Neuropathology of Chronic Manganese Exposure" 9/1/09-8/31/12 NIH/NIEHS
The major goals of this project are to determine the role of manganese and other metals in the pathogenesis of pre-parkinsonian brain pathology in S. African manganese miners.

Selected Publications

1. Lundin JL, Checkoway H. Endotoxin and cancer. Environ Health Perspect 2009;117:1344-1350.

2. Hofmann JN, Keifer MC, De Roos AJ, Fenske RA, Furlong CE, van Belle G, Checkoway H. Occupational determinants of serum cholinesterase inhibition among organophosphate-exposed agricultural pesticide handlers in Washington state. Occup Environ Med 2010;67:375-386.

3. Firestone JA, Powers KM, Smith-Weller T, Franklin GM, Swanson PD, Longstreth WT Jr, Checkoway H. Occupational risk factors for Parkinson's disease: a population-based case-control study. Am J Ind Med 2010;53:217-223.

4. Checkoway H, Ray R, Lundin J, et al. Lung cancer and exposures other than cotton dust and endotoxin among women textile workers in Shanghai, China. Occup Environ Med 2011;68:425-429.

5. Nielsen SS, Gallahger LG, Lundin JL, Longstreth WT, Powers KM, Smith-Weller T, Franklin GM, Swanson PD, Checkoway H. Environmental tobacco smoke and Parkinson disease. Mov Disord, 2012;27:293-297 .

*full bibliography available in CV

Bibliography

Links
SciVal Experts Page