Susan R. Sama

Susan R. Sama is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Health at the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, with over 25 years of experience in occupational safety and health research. Her work focuses on developing innovative interventions for protecting home care workers and investigating risk factors for severe COVID-19 and Long-COVID in community-based Massachusetts cohorts.

Her educational background includes:

• Sc.D. in Epidemiology/Work Environment Department (1996)
• M.S. in Epidemiology (1990)
• B.S. in Nursing (1987)

Dr. Sama's research centers on occupational safety in home care, particularly sharps injury prevention and respiratory disease exacerbation due to environmental exposures. She investigates retinal detachment risks from occupational lifting and Long-COVID etiology, employing community-based observational studies and mixed-methods approaches to target prevention strategies.

Her 15 most recent publications (2015-2024) reveal a dominant focus on home care worker safety through the Safe Home Care Project, with significant expansion into COVID-19 occupational health since 2020. Methodologically, she integrates qualitative stakeholder analyses with quantitative exposure assessments, emphasizing practical interventions for vulnerable home care populations.

Dr. Sama has led major federally funded initiatives including:

• Safety and Health for Home Care Aides Intervention Study (2019-2023)
• Homecare Work: Safe Cleaning and Disinfection (2015-2018)
• Sharps Injuries and Blood Exposures Research (2004-2009)
• Heavy Lifting and Retinal Detachment Study (2014-2019)
• COVID-19 Severity and Hypertension Medication Analysis (2020)

She directs the Safe Home Care Project team in collaboration with the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, conducting field interventions across Massachusetts home care agencies to transform client-worker safety dynamics through evidence-based protocols.