معرفی
Linda Forst is a Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She is a clinician, researcher, and educator with a national and global focus on occupational safety, injury prevention, and environmental health. She serves as Director of the WHO Collaborating Center in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety and is actively involved in community-based public health initiatives.
Her educational background includes:
- Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, Michigan State University (1977)
- Master of Science in Genetics, University of Arizona (1980)
- Doctor of Medicine (MD), Michigan State University (1983)
- Master of Public Health (MPH), University of Illinois at Chicago (1987)
- Residency in Internal Medicine & Preventive/Occupational Medicine, Cook County Hospital (1983–1987)
Dr. Forst’s research focuses on occupational health disparities, surveillance of workplace injuries, and community-based participatory research with vulnerable worker populations including Latino farmworkers, construction workers, and EMS personnel. Her work bridges clinical medicine, public health policy, and environmental justice. She has led numerous CDC/NIOSH-funded surveillance and intervention programs in Illinois and beyond.
The recent publications reflect a strong trend in injury prevention, occupational safety in non-traditional and high-risk sectors (e.g., agriculture, construction, EMS), and global occupational health, particularly artisanal gold mining. Her work emphasizes spatial analysis, community engagement, and policy-relevant research to reduce occupational morbidity and mortality.
Notable honors include:
- Dozor Award, Ben Gurion University (2016)
- Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society (2007–present)
- Senior Specialist, Fulbright Education (2005–2009)
Dr. Forst has served as Co-Investigator on multiple CDC/NIOSH grants related to occupational surveillance and healthy work initiatives. She is a key member of the Illinois Partnership for Safety and serves on the Cook County Department of Public Health Advisory Board. Her leadership extends to global efforts through the World Health Organization, where she has contributed to curriculum development for occupational disease diagnosis and Minamata Convention compliance.
She leads the WHO Collaborating Center in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety and is currently conducting research on community-based occupational health in Chicago, pesticide-related illness surveillance, and occupational injury surveillance among EMS providers. She also holds intellectual property related to the Global Program in Occupational Health Practice.
