The Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's research activities continue to provide opportunities for productive scholarship for the faculty and staff as well as outreach initiatives to benefit the public’s health. We proactively seek opportunities to include students and trainees as research collaborators.

Our Current Research Activities

• The Metal Exposures & Depleted Uranium (MEDU) Surveillance Center serves Veterans, military service members and providers as recognized experts and a trusted authority on health outcomes related to military exposures to depleted uranium and embedded metal fragments, offering patient surveillance, specialized clinical care and evidence-informed management guidance.    
• The Military Exposures Research Program (MERP) is a VA Office of Research and Development (ORD) initiative that aims to improve our understanding of the effects of military exposures to toxic agents on Veteran health and advance the field of exposure assessment, which refers to qualitative and/or quantitative identification and measurement of toxic agent(s) to which a Veteran was exposed during military service. 
• Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Healthcare supported by CDC/NIOSH is assessing the utility, user acceptance and patient perceptions of these devices in healthcare settings.
• Workplace PROSPER (Partnering to Reduce Opioid Stigma and Promote Employment in Recovery), promoting recovery-friendly approaches in the workplace, with support from the Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Department of Labor. Based on our findings that construction workers are at the highest risk for opioid overdose compared to other occupations, we have targeted several research projects at mitigating this risk.
• The Building Trades National Medical Screening Program (BTMed). As medical directors of this national program serving 30.000 former construction workers, we research the health effects of construction work at Department of Energy facilities.
• Mesothelioma Patient Registry project. As part of a larger feasibility study for establishing a national registry for mesothelioma, which is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, our faculty have created a local mesothelioma patient registry that collects detailed exposure and clinical data from mesothelioma patients. Currently, eligible patients are referred by clinicians from two large academic centers who have significant expertise in providing care and treatment for mesothelioma patients.
• UMB Hazardous Drug Safety Center and Registry is a longitudinal project which collects exposure and health history information for oncology workers who prepare or handle hazardous anti-cancer drugs.  It is donor and CDC/NIOSH funded.