Seth B.C. Shonkoff

Seth B.C. Shonkoff is an environmental and public health scientist serving as Executive Director of PSE Healthy Energy and an Associate Researcher in the Environmental Health Sciences Division at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. He is also an affiliate at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Energy Technologies Area. His work focuses on the health and climate impacts of energy systems, particularly oil and gas development, hydraulic fracturing, and produced water management. With over 20 years of experience, he has authored >50 peer-reviewed publications and testified before Congress, emphasizing science-based policy.

Education: PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (UC Berkeley) and MPH in Epidemiology (UC Berkeley). Research interests include climate-health intersections, air pollution exposure, energy transitions, and policy analysis. His high-impact studies include IPCC AR5’s Human Health chapter and state-level evaluations of oil/gas systems. Current projects address hazardous pollutants from gas appliances, methane super-emitters, and environmental justice in energy transitions.

Recent articles analyze benzene risks from gas stoves, VOC emissions in natural gas supply chains, and groundwater contamination from produced water. Shonkoff sits on science-policy panels, advocating for evidence-driven decisions to protect public health and climate resilience.