George Gray

M.S., Ph.D.

Environmental and Occupational Health

Full-time Faculty

School: Milken Institute School of Public Health

Department: Environmental and Occupational Health

Contact:

Email: George Gray

Office Phone: 202-994-7993

Milken Institute School of Public Health 950 New Hampshire Avenue, NW #418 Washington DC 20052

In both academic and policymaking settings, Professor Gray has long been committed to the effective use of science to inform public health choices, and emphasizes the importance of communicating those choices effectively to citizens, journalists, and lawmakers. Risk analysis, including the tradeoffs that must be made when risks exist on both sides of a decision, has been a core component of that work. His teaching in the GW MPH program includes Biological and Environmental Foundations of Public Health, Toxicology: Applications for Public Health and Risk Management and Communication.

Prior to joining the Milken Institute School of Public Health in 2010, Professor Gray served as Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Research and Development and as the Agency Science Advisor, promoting scientific excellence in EPA research, advocating for the continuing evolution of the agency's approach to analysis, and encouraging programs that provide academic research to support EPA's mission. His areas of focus included nanotechnology, ecosystem research, the influence of toxicology advances on testing and risk assessment, and sustainability.

Before joining EPA, Professor Gray was Executive Director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, and a member of the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. In addition to teaching, he applied the tools of risk analysis to public health problems ranging from mad cow disease to pesticides in food to the risks and benefits of fish consumption.

More from George Gray

Expertise

EXPERTISE:

Risk Assessment, Management and Communication

EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Science (Biology), University of Michigan, 1985

Master of Science (Toxicology), University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 1988

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 1989

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

During his government service Professor Gray served on several committees of the National Science and Technology Council and co-chaired the National Nanotechnology Environmental Health Initiative. He is Past President and a Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis and has served on several task forces for the Society of Toxicology. He has served on scientific advisory committees for the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He is currently a member of the Board on Environmental Science and Toxicology of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Research

RESEARCH:

Dr. Gray's primary research interests center around risk characterization, risk communication, and risk policy. He has published on the scientific bases of human health risk assessment, and the ways in which policy considerations influence the risks addressed by regulatory agencies.

Publications

PUBLICATIONS:

Pritchett, N., Spangler, E.C., Gray, G.M., Livinski, A.A., Sampson, J.N., Dawsey, S.M. and Jones, RR (2022) Exposure to Outdoor Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Epidemiologic Evidence. Environmental Health Perspectives 130: 036001-1 - 16
Finkel, A.M. and Gray, G.M. (2021) The Pebble Remains in the Master’s Hand: Two Careers Spent Learning (Still) from John Evans. Risk Analysis 41:678-693
Phifer, A., Gray, G.M., Kratchman, J. and Attene-Ramos, M.S. (2021) Assessing how in vitro Assay Types Predict in vivoToxicology Data. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A 84:710-728
Ortúzar, J.E., Dogan, O.B., Sotomayor, G., Jiménez. C., Clarke, J., Flores, R.A., Gray, G.M., Rupnow, J.H. and Wang, B. (2020) Quantitative Assessment of Microbial Quality and Safety Risk: A Preliminary Case Study of Strengthening Raspberry Supply System in Chile. Food Control 11:107-166
Figueroa, Z.I., Young, H.A., Mumford, S.L., Meeker, J.D., Barr, D.B., Gray, G.M. and Perry, M.J. (2019) Pesticide Interactions and Risks of Sperm Chromosomal Abnormalities. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 222:1021-1029
Finkel, A. and Gray, G (2018) Taking the Reins: How Regulatory Decision-makers Can Stop Being Hijacked by Uncertainty. Environment Systems and Decisions 38:230-238
Kratchman, J., Wang, B., Fox, J. and Gray, G. (2018) Which is Most Sensitive? Assessing Responses of Mice and Rats in Toxicity Bioassays. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 81:173-183
Callen, C., Bhatia, J., Czerkies, L., Klish, W.J. and Gray, G.M. (2018) Challenges and Considerations When Balancing the Risks of Contaminants with the Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables for Infants and Toddlers. Nutrients 10: DOI 10.3390/nu10111572
Kratchman, J., Wang, B., Fox, J. and Gray, G. (2017) Correlation of Non-Cancer Benchmark Doses in Short and Long-Term Rodent Bioassays. Risk Analysis (in press)
Dudley, S., Belzer, R., Blomquist, G., Brennan, T, Carrigan, C., Cordes, J., Cox, L., Fraas. A., Graham, J., Gray, G., Hammitt, J., Krutilla, K., Linquiti, P., Lutter, R., Mannix, B., Shapiro, S., Smith, A., Viscusi, K. and Zerbe, R. (2017) Consumer’s Guide to Regulatory Impact Analysis: Ten Tips for Being an Informed Policymaker. Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis (in press)
Holman, E., Francis, R. and Gray, G (2016) Comparing Non-cancer Chronic Human Health Reference Values: An Analysis of Science Policy Choices. Risk Analysis 37:861-878
Holman, E., Francis, R. and Gray, G (2016) Quantitative Evaluation of Choices Used in Setting Non-Cancer Chronic Human Health Reference Values Across Organizations. Risk Analysis 37:879-892
Stephens, M.L., Betts, K., Beck, N.B., Colgliano, B., Dickersin, K., Fitzpatrick,S., Freeman, J., Gray, G., Hartung, T., McPartland, J., Rooney, A.A., Scherer, R.W., Verloo, D., and Hoffmann, S. (2016) The Emergence of Systematic Review in Toxicology. Toxicological Sciences 152:10-16
Applebaum, K.M., Graham, J., Gray, G.M., LaPuma, P., McCormick, S.A., Northcross, A., and Perry, M.J. (2016) An Overview of Occupational Health Risks from Climate Change. Current Environmental Health Reports 3:13-22
Beck, N.B., Becker, R.A., Erraguntla, N., Farland, W.H., Grant, R.L., Gray, G., Kirman, C., LaKind, J.S., Lewis, R.J., Nance, P., Pottenger, L.H., Santos, S.L., Shirley, S., Simon, T., and Dourson, M.L. (2016) Approaches for Describing and Communicating Overall Uncertainty in Toxicity Characterizations: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as a Case Study. Environment International 89–90: 110–128
Figueroa, Z.I., Young, H.A., Meeker, J.D., Martenies, S.E., Barr, D.B., Gray, G., and Perry, M.J. (2015) Dialkyl phosphate urinary metabolites and chromosomal abnormalities in human sperm. Environmental Research 143:256-265
Wang, B. and Gray, G. (2015) Concordance of Non-Carcinogenic Endpoints in Rodent Chemical Bioassays. Risk Analysis 35:1154-1166
Lutter, R., Abbott, L., Becker, R., Borgert, C., Bradely, A., Charnley, G., Dudley, S., Felsot, A, Golden, N., Gray, G., Juberg, D., Mitchell, M., Rachman, N., Rhomberg, L., Solomon, K., Sundlof, S., and Willet, K. (2015) Improving Weight of Evidence Approaches to Chemical Evaluations. Risk Analysis 35:186-192
Scanlon, K.A., Lloyd, S.M., Gray, G.M., Francis, R.A. and LaPuma, P (2015) An Approach to integrating Occupational Safety and Health into Life Cycle Assessment: Development and Application of Work Environment Characterization Factors. Journal of Industrial Ecology 19:27-37
Setting pesticide reference doses: A retrospective analysis examining key data and choices.
Holman, E., Gray, G. (2014). Setting pesticide reference doses: A retrospective analysis examining key data and choices. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 20(6), 1550-1564.
Workshop report: strategies for setting occupational exposure limits for engineered nanomaterials.
Gordon, S.C., Butala, J.H., Carter, J.M., Elder, A., Gordon, T., Gray, G., Sayre, P.G., Schulte, P.A. Tsai, C.S., West, J. Workshop report: strategies for setting occupational exposure limits for engineered nanomaterials. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 2014 68(3), 305-11.
The work environment disability-adjusted life year for use with life cycle assessment: a methodological approach
Scanlon, K.A., Gray, G.M., Francis, R.A., Lloyd, S.M., LaPuma, P. The work environment disability-adjusted life year for use with life cycle assessment: a methodological approach. Environmental Health 2013 12, 21. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-12-21
Policy: Rethink chemical risk assessments
Gray, G.M., Cohen, J.T. Policy: Rethink chemical risk assessments. Nature 2012, 489(7414):27-8. doi: 10.1038/489027a.
Hormesis in Regulatory risk assessment - Science and Science Policy
Gray G. Hormesis in Regulatory risk assessment - Science and Science Policy. Dose Response. 2011;9(2):158-64. Epub 2010 Nov 4.
Beef, Hormones and Mad Cows
Gray G. Beef, Hormones and Mad Cows. In: Weiner JB, Rogers MD, Hammitt JK, Sand PH, eds. The Reality of Precaution: Comparing Risk Regulation in the United States and Europe. RFF Press, 2010.
Dioxin Toxicity
Gray G. Dioxin Toxicity [letter]. Risk Anal. 2010 Oct;30(10):1457-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01504.x.
US Environmental Protection Agency uses operations research to reduce contamination risks in drinking water
Murray R, Hart WE, Phillips CA, Berry J., et al. US Environmental Protection Agency uses operations research to reduce contamination risks in drinking water. Interfaces 2009;39:57-68.
Toxicology: Transforming environmental health protection
Collins FS, Gray GM, Bucher JR. Toxicology: Transforming environmental health protection. Science 2008 Feb 15;319:906-7.
What do we learn from emissions reporting? Analytical considerations and comparison of pollutant release and transfer registers in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia.
Kerret D, Gray GM. What do we learn from emissions reporting? Analytical considerations and comparison of pollutant release and transfer registers in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. Risk Anal 2007 Feb 1;27 (1):203-23.
Measured concentrations of VOCs in several non-residential microenvironments in the United States.
Loh MM, Houseman EA, Gray GM, Levy JI, et al. Measured concentrations of VOCs in several non-residential microenvironments in the United States. Environ Sci Technol 2006 Nov 15:40 (22);6903-11.
A quantitative analysis of fish consumption and stroke risk.
Bouzan C, Cohen JT, Connor WE, Kris-Etherton PM, et al. A quantitative analysis of fish consumption and stroke risk. Am J Prev Med 2005 Nov 1; 29 (4):347-52.
A quantitative analysis of fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality
König A, Bouzan C, Cohen JT, Connor WE, et al. A quantitative analysis of fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality. Am J Prev Med 2005 Nov 1; 29 (4):335-46.
A quantitative risk-benefit analysis of changes in population fish consumption.
Cohen JT, Bellinger D, Connor WE, Kris-Etherton PM, et al. A quantitative risk-benefit analysis of changes in population fish consumption. Am J Prev Med 2005 Nov 1; 29 (4):325-34.