John Howard

J.D., M.D., M.P.H.

Professorial Lecturer

Part-time Faculty

School: Milken Institute School of Public Health

Department: Environmental and Occupational Health

John Howard is the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Howard also serves as the Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Howard was first appointed NIOSH Director in 2002 during the George Bush Administration and served in that position until 2008. In 2008 and 2009, Dr. Howard worked as a consultant with the U.S. Government's Afghanistan Health Initiative. In September of 2009, Dr. Howard was again appointed NIOSH Director in the Barack Obama Administration.

Prior to his appointments as NIOSH Director, Dr. Howard served as Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the State of California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 1991 through 2002.

Dr. Howard received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Loyola University of Chicago, a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, a Doctor of Law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Master of Law degree in Administrative Law and Economic Regulation from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Howard is board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine. He is admitted to the practice of medicine and law in the State of California and in the District of Columbia, and he is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court bar. He has written numerous articles on occupational health law and policy.

Publications

A decision process for determining whether to conduct responder health research following large disasters Decker JA, Kiefer M, Reissman DB, Funk R, Halpin J, Bernard B, Ehrenberg RL, Schuler CR, Whelan E, Myers K, Howard J. A decision process for determining whether to conduct responder health research following large disasters. Am J Disaster Med. 2013 Winter;8(1):25-33. doi: 10.5055/ajdm.2013.0108.

Protecting nanotechnology workers while waiting for Godot Murashov V, Howard J. Protecting nanotechnology workers while waiting for Godot. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2013;10(8):D111-5. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2013.803914. The face of occupational safety and health: 2020 and beyond Kitt M, Howard J.

The face of occupational safety and health: 2020 and beyond. Public Health Rep. 2013 May-Jun;128(3):138-9.

Progression of occupational risk management with advances in nanomaterials Murashov V, Schulte P, Howard J. Progression of occupational risk management with advances in nanomaterials. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2012;9(1):D12-22. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2012.638217.

Handling worker and third-party exposures to nanotherapeutics during clinical trials Ramachandran G, Howard J, Maynard A, Philbert M. Handling worker and third-party exposures to nanotherapeutics during clinical trials. J Law Med Ethics. 2012 Winter;40(4):856-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-720X.2012.00714.x.

Review of the OSHA-NIOSH Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Protecting the Health and Safety of Cleanup Workers Michaels D, Howard J. Review of the OSHA-NIOSH Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Protecting the Health and Safety of Cleanup Workers. PLOS Currents Disasters. 2012 Jul 18. Edition 1. doi: 10.1371/4fa83b7576b6e.

Workplace violence and aggression Howard J. Workplace violence and aggression. Work. 2012;42(1):1-2. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1319.

Occupational safety and health in the USA: now and the future Howard J, Hearl F. Occupational safety and health in the USA: now and the future. Ind Health. 2012;50(2):80-3.

Occupational epidemiology and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Halperin W, Howard J. Occupational epidemiology and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2011 Oct 7;60 Suppl 4:97-103.

Regulatory approaches to worker protection in nanotechnology industry in the USA and European union Murashov V, Schulte P, Geraci C, Howard J.Regulatory approaches to worker protection in nanotechnology industry in the USA and European union. Ind Health. 2011;49(3):280-96. Epub 2011 Mar 1.

Dynamic oversight: implementation gaps and challenges Howard J. Dynamic oversight: implementation gaps and challenges. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Volume 13, Number 4, April 2011 , pp. 1427-1434(8).

Genetic susceptibility and the setting of occupational health standards Schulte P, Howard J. Genetic susceptibility and the setting of occupational health standards. Annu Rev Public Health. 2011;32:149-59. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031210-101144.

Protecting workers in large-scale emergency responses: NIOSH Experience in the Deepwater Horizon response. Kitt MM, Decker JA, Delaney L, Funk R, Halpin J, Tepper A, Spahr J, Howard J. Protecting workers in large-scale emergency responses: NIOSH Experience in the Deepwater Horizon response. J Occup Environ Med. 2011 Jul;53(7):711-5. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31822543b6.

Guidance Statement: Nanotechnology and Health Fishman M, Kosnett M, Lichty P, Howard J. American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Guidance Statement: Nanotechnology and Health. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2011; 53(3):1-3.

Exposure science can increase protection of workers and their families from exposure to asbestos and inform on the effects of other elongate mineral particles Howard J, Middendorf P.Exposure science can increase protection of workers and their families from exposure to asbestos and inform on the effects of other elongate mineral particles. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2010 Sep;20(6):485-6. doi: 10.1038/jes.2010.40.