What we do and who we are?

We perform research aimed at promoting health and reducing disease and disability among workers across the nation, and particularly in Oregon, leading to healthier workers and healthier businesses.

Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences (formerly named CROET: the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology) was established at OHSU by the Oregon Legislature to conduct research, outreach and education designed to improve the health, safety, and well-being of the Oregon workforce., The Institute performs research at many levels including basic laboratory science, human laboratory science, workplace interventions, and outreach plus education. Current areas of research include prevention of injury, improving health (wellness research), cancer biology, rehabilitation from injury, and optimizing sleep and circadian rhythms to improve health, safety and performance at work. Often our applied science is based on results from underlying basic laboratory science.

The areas that we are currently working on are described on our Research page.  To learn more about individual faculty laboratories and their research and solutions interests, visit our Research Labs page. To learn about recent highlights, go to our OccHealthSci Resource page and our Publications page to see our latest Annual Report and Faculty Publications.

Where Your New Philanthropic Donations Will Go?

100% of your donated money will go directly into helping us promote health and reduce disease and disability among workers. We seek donations to fund the many ongoing and new research activities and to respond to new challenges and opportunities. Listed below are some of our priority areas:

• New vital research

It is essential to keep abreast of new developments and answer important emerging questions. To quickly respond to these new important research challenges, we need to support small pilot projects in emerging areas. These projects can help us determine which areas deserve further study, and lead to more established, sustainable funding in that important research area (e.g., from federal grants).   Thus, we seek donations to support our pilot projects and in developing new research programs.

• World-class faculty 

To maintain the highest impact research, we need to attract and retain the best research faculty working in high-impact areas. Successful faculty members initiate new research programs, create more jobs, improve the reputation of the Institute and help garner more federal grants. Thus, the Institute’s mission will be greatly helped with support directed toward attracting and retaining world-class faculty members and their research programs (e.g., via support towards endowed professorships or new junior faculty recruits).

• New Intervention programs for safety, health, wellness, well-being

• Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC) – The OHWC is focused on prevention strategies to reduce the most costly chronic diseases and injuries of our time. The OHWC develops and tests integrated Total Worker Health^® (TWH) interventions that improve safety, health, wellness and wellbeing in Oregon companies and unions.  Donations will be devoted to funding cutting edge pilot research on new TWH solutions interventions.

• Dissemination of proven safety/wellness intervention programs

• A new OHWC program that recommends expert-identified tools and the best evidence-based interventions for Oregon companies and unions to improve safety, health, wellness and well-being (Total Worker Health^®) is being developed. Donations will support external advisors to the program, the dissemination website to make interventions available and awards for companies and individuals that participate in the programs and are successful in reducing risk factors for injuries, disorders, and chronic illnesses in the workforce.

• Summer Student Research Internships

• These summer research internships are designed to introduce college freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors to various fields of biomedical and occupational health research. Interns work closely with one or more faculty scientists conducting cutting-edge research at the Institute. This hands-on laboratory or field experience adds a valuable dimension to the intern’s education and helps train the leaders of tomorrow in our field. Women, members of historically underrepresented groups, and economically and educationally disadvantaged applicants are especially encouraged to apply. We seek donations to help fund these paid internships.

How to Donate

• General donations for use in our missions are encouraged as these enable the Institute to put your dollars to work in the most needy program as we progress towards our short-term and long-term goals. To help our mission click on the "Donate Here" button on the right.
  

• To donate to a specific program from the list above, or others identified from the institute website please contact the OHSU Foundation.