Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation

Fellowship Year: 2002

Academic Background: UC Berkeley School of Public Health - Ph.D.

Current Position: Research Industrial Hygienist

Michael Wilson is an industrial hygienist working at the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health in the School of Public Health, UC Berkeley. He completed a doctorate in environmental health sciences from UCB in 2003 and a Master of Public Health from UCB in 1998. He completed a bachelor of arts in biology from UC Santa Cruz in 1984. He attended the Harvard Trade Union Program in 1995 under sponsorship of the International Association of Firefighters. He worked as a firefighterparamedic and union organizer for twelve years before returning to graduate school. His current work addresses the occupational health consequences of environmental regulations. He is currently studying the effect of exposure to n-hexane, a common degreasing solvent, among fourteen Bay Area automotive technicians diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, a debilitating nerve disease characterized by a gradual loss of motor and sensory control in the limbs. Occupational exposure to n-hexane is associated with peripheral neuropathy. Hexane was introduced as a substitute for chlorinated solvents in the early 1990s, which were more heavily regulated for environmental reasons. Michael hopes his work will illustrate the need for more robust links between the labor and environmental movements and for a more comprehensive, integrated approach to environmental policy.

Expertise: Environmental & Public Health, Engineering / Chem / Toxicology, Environmental Policy & Law