Blog submission contributed by Erin Flynn, Director of Outreach
We are delighted to welcome Katia Costa-Black to the Institute as a member of the Outreach Team. Dr. Costa-Black is the Senior Manager of Education and Partnerships. She will be responsible for leading our Total Worker Health® education and training portfolio. She will also be tasked with developing and promoting strategic partnerships with academic and health care institutions, government and non-profit agencies, and private sector employers.
Katia is an accomplished educator, researcher and practitioner in the field of occupational ergonomics and work disability prevention. Prior to joining the Institute, she served as a consultant and scientific adviser to a number of organizations and major corporations in the US and abroad. She has previously served as a Faculty Lecturer at New York University (Langone School of Medicine) and the University of Pretoria in South Africa (School of Health Systems and Public Health). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy; a Master’s degree in Ergonomics and Biomechanics; and a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering. She has also completed a post-professional diploma in applied transdisciplinary and a three year post-doctoral research fellowship in Canada in the area of research translation for preventing work incapacity.
From her time living and working in several countries – including Brazil (her country of birth), Canada, South Africa and Turkey – Katia has gained extensive knowledge of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) applied research and practices both domestically and internationally, particularly the diverse challenges stakeholders face in preventing and managing emerging and traditional workplace risks. Over the last six years she has professionally trained and interacted with different professional groups regarding the importance of applying the Total Worker Health® approach in their practices. She is looking forward to overseeing the Institute’s research translation activities and developing impactful partnerships that can support workers and employers in Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest in making the workplace conducive to improved health and well-being outcomes.
Katia brings a breadth and depth of passion and experience in OSH and Total Worker Health® that she hopes will benefit both the Institute and the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center.
Originally from Bahia, Brazil, in her spare time Katia enjoys live music, hiking, yoga and all forms of arts, especially photography. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her teenage daughter, her husband and their yellow lab Atticus.
