Research Summary

My research program focuses primarily on the epidemiology and toxicology of the pulmonary system, with additional research work on injury epidemiology (including poisoning and drug overdose) and on the history of occupational health. My research program has been composed of two principal components: (1) examining the etiologic burden and outcomes of lung disease, with an emphasis on interactions between workplace exposures and disease severity; and (2) epidemiologic and controlled human exposure studies of toxin and drug exposure effects. Outcomes in adult asthma, COPD, and interstitial disease comprise the principal thrust of these research efforts.

Research Funding

  • July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2025 - Northern California Educational Resource Center –Occupational Safety and Health Education Residency Training 7/1/2020 - 6/30/2025 , PI . Sponsor: NIOSH/CDC, Sponsor Award ID: T-42-OH008429-16 CDC/NIOSH
  • May 1, 2018 - April 30, 2023 - Preventive Medicine Residencies , PI . Sponsor: HRSA, Sponsor Award ID: D33HP31668
  • September 1, 2020 - June 30, 2022 - Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hard Rock Underground Miners , PI . Sponsor: Alpha Foundation, Sponsor Award ID: AFCTG20-98
  • January 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022 - Alpha Foundation Coal Mining Employment as a Risk Factor for Rheumatoid Arthritis 01/01/19 - 12/31/21 NCE to 6/30/22 , PI . Sponsor: Alpha Foundation, Sponsor Award ID: AFC618SP-88

Education

Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont, BA, 1974, Liberal Arts
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA MSPH, 1977, Industrial Hygiene
Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx, NY, MD, 1982, Medicine

Honors & Awards

  • 2011
    Elected Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini
  • 2011
    Snell Memorial Lecturer, British Respiratory Society Winter Meeting
  • 2012
    Occupational Health Nursing Hero Award, UCSF School of Nursing,
  • 2013
    Jarsolav Teisinger Medal, Society of Occupational Medicine of the Czech Medical Society
  • 2013-2014
    Mellon Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
  • 2016
    Honorary Doctorate, Sahlgrenska Medical Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • 2017
    Viseltear Prize, American Public Health Association, for “Outstanding Book on the History of Public Health.”
  • 2019
    Excellence in Education and Research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine Award, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Selected Publications

  1. Kiok M, Guntur S, Blanc PD, Lozato O, Domingo G, Kosnik R, Ugbaja CE, Chan N, Ramos A, Domeracki S. Increased Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Hotline Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unexpected Phenomenon. Workplace Health Saf. 2022 Jun; 70(6):278-284.  View on PubMed
  2. Kaul B, Lee JS, Glidden D, Blanc PD, Zhang N, Collard HR, Whooley MA. Agent Orange Exposure and Risk of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Among U.S. Veterans. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 May 13.  View on PubMed
  3. Blanc PD. Becoming disenthralled with our conventional understanding of occupational lung disease. Respirology. 2022 May 01.  View on PubMed
  4. Trupin L, Schmajuk G, Ying D, Yelin E, Blanc PD. Military service and COPD risk. Chest. 2022 Apr 22.  View on PubMed
  5. Kolaitis NA, Gao Y, Soong A, Greenland JR, Hays SR, Golden JA, Venado A, Leard LE, Shah RJ, Kleinhenz ME, Katz PP, Kukreja J, Blanc PD, Smith PJ, Singer JP. Depressive symptoms in lung transplant recipients: trajectory and association with mortality and allograft dysfunction. Thorax. 2022 Mar 30.  View on PubMed
  6. Torén K, Naidoo RN, Blanc PD. Pneumococcal pneumonia on the job: Uncovering the past story of occupational exposure to metal fumes and dust. Am J Ind Med. 2022 Mar 29.  View on PubMed
  7. Torén K, Blanc PD, Naidoo R, Murgia N, Stockfelt L, Schiöler L. Cumulative occupational exposure to inorganic dust and fumes and invasive pneumococcal disease with pneumonia. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 Mar 09.  View on PubMed
  8. Torén K, Blanc PD, Murgia N, Stockfelt L, Schiöler L. Inhaled Corticosteroid Use and Invasive Pneumococcal Pneumonia. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2022 02; 19(2):327-329.  View on PubMed
  9. Lopez A, Kosnik R, Blanc PD, Taylor BR, Guntur S. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Health Care Workers During the Delta Variant Surge. J Occup Environ Med. 2022 02 01; 64(2):179-181.  View on PubMed
  10. Barnes H, Jones K, Blanc P. The hidden history of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Eur Respir J. 2022 01; 59(1).  View on PubMed
  11. Schmajuk G, Trupin L, Yelin EH, Blanc PD. Dusty trades and associated rheumatoid arthritis in a population-based study in the coal mining counties of Appalachia. Occup Environ Med. 2022 May; 79(5):308-314.  View on PubMed
  12. Vinnikov D, Blanc PD, Raushanova A, Beisbekova A, Abraham JL, Zlobina Y. Exposure to respirable dust among workers fabricating aluminium trihydroxide-containing synthetic countertops. Sci Rep. 2021 10 27; 11(1):21219.  View on PubMed
  13. Vinnikov D, Tulekov Z, Blanc PD. Fractional exhaled NO in a metalworking occupational cohort. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 Apr; 95(3):701-708.  View on PubMed
  14. Chien A, Domeracki S, Guntur S, Taylor K, Lu CM, Lampiris H, Blanc PD. Association between household exposure and cycle threshold in COVID-19 infected health care workers. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2021 Aug 04; 16(1):29.  View on PubMed
  15. Naidoo RN, Blanc PD, Torén K. History of work-related diseases as a tool to protect the health of workers. Ind Health. 2021 09 09; 59(4):204-203.  View on PubMed
  16. Ying D, Schmajuk G, Trupin L, Blanc PD. Inorganic Dust Exposure During Military Service as a Predictor of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Autoimmune Conditions. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2021 Jul; 3(7):466-474.  View on PubMed
  17. McNicholas JE, Kosnik R, Blanc PD, Taylor BR, Guntur S. Temporal Trends in COVID-19 Incidence in Two Healthcare Worker Cohorts. J Occup Environ Med. 2021 06 01; 63(6):528-531.  View on PubMed
  18. Gandhi SA, Cohen RA, Blanc PD, Go LHT. Early radiographic pneumoconiosis is associated with impaired exercise gas exchange among coal miners with normal resting spirometry. Am J Ind Med. 2021 06; 64(6):453-461.  View on PubMed
  19. Melamed J, Gerona R, Blanc PD, Takamoto P, Conner S, Goodnough R. Gamma-Butyrolactone Overdose Potentially Complicated by Co-Ingestion of Industrial Solvent N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone. J Anal Toxicol. 2021 Mar 12; 45(3):322-324.  View on PubMed
  20. Andersson M, Blanc PD, Torén K, Järvholm B. Smoking, occupational exposures, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis among Swedish construction workers. Am J Ind Med. 2021 04; 64(4):251-257.  View on PubMed

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