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After a successful career as a Professor of Medicine at the University of California at Irvine’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), Dr. Peter Schnall has decided to retire and dedicate his efforts full-time to the Healthy Work Campaign, where he serves as co-director. Dr. Schnall’s departure from his tenure at the university marks the end of a significant period of service and accomplishment.
As a well-known expert in the study of work stress, Dr. Peter Schnall has spent the last four decades studying the workplace conditions that can lead to the development of hypertension among employees. In addition to his esteemed position as an epidemiologist, he is also known for his advocacy work in raising awareness about the negative impacts of work-related stress on mental and physical health.
Dr. Peter Schnall has had the privilege of collaborating with a number of esteemed researchers and physicians throughout his career. Some of these notable figures include Dr. Robert Karasek, Dr. Töres Theorell, Dr. Thomas Pickering, Dr. Marnie Dobson, Dr. Paul A. Landsbergis, and Dr. Ellen Rosskam, among others.
The Healthy Work Campaign is working to understand why the United States has been slower than other high-income countries in addressing the impact of stress in the workplace. In an effort to increase awareness and understanding, the campaign is initiating educational programs targeting various groups, including working people, employers, labor leaders, and journalists, to inform them about the effects of workplace stress and promote action to address it.
As part of the Healthy Work Campaign, Dr. Schnall leverages his extensive research experience to oversee significant policy initiatives and develop educational materials. The campaign aims to address the issue of workplace stress and believes that promoting healthy work benefits both employees and employers.
As part of today’s outreach efforts, workers and organizations will be provided with strategies for implementing organizational changes that enhance their ability to perform at their best. The Healthy Work Campaign has also introduced the scientifically validated Healthy Work Survey, a free online tool for individuals, unions, businesses, and other organizations to assess workplace stressors. Dr. Schnall states, “Among work stress researchers and advocates, this survey is considered a vital first step towards enabling changes to make work safer and healthier.”
Dr. Schnall is not only involved in the Healthy Work Campaign as a co-director but also holds the position of founder and director of the Center for Social Epidemiology, which is the creator of healthywork.org. When discussing the goals of the Healthy Work Campaign, Dr. Schnall emphasized, “This is the most important work of my life.”
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Photo provided with written permission from owner Erik Petrosyan.
