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Carisa ​Harris, PhD, CPE

Carisa Harris in the media
Associate Adjunct Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
  • Director, Center of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • Director, UC Ergonomics Research and Graduate Training Program
Carisa Harris, PhD, CPE is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, and in the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. She is also the Director of the UCSF/UCB Ergonomics Research & Graduate Training Program and the Director of the Northern California Center of Occupational & Environmental Health.
Phone: (510) 665-3403
Available for Advising
Address: 2121 Berkeley Way #5316
Berkeley, CA 94720

Biography

Carisa Harris, PhD, CPE received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley and teaches a variety of classes including Occupational Biomechanics and Industrial Engineering Human Factors Design. Dr. Harris and her team performs research in a variety of areas focused on understanding and preventing work related injuries and improving human performance, productivity and health. Her epidemiological research assesses and adjusts for healthy worker survivor bias in the assessment of physical, personal and work psychosocial factors associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and subsequent work disability. Additionally, her team is developing a variety of exposure assessment devices (wearables) for primary and secondary prevention purposes and performs various intervention studies on occupational tasks with high risk of musculoskeletal injuries. The lab has a history of performing research in the construction, computer, medical, hotel and manufacturing sectors. From a global health perspective, Dr. Harris collaborates on research assessing the impact of heavy load carrying among women in developing countries (Nepal, Tanzania, Ethiopia) on associated morbidity.

Research Interests

  • Development of wearable technology that can be used for physical exposure assessment
  • Use of video tracking to quantify physical exposures associated with risk of MSDs
  • Exoskeleton assessment and application to high risk occupations
  • The influence of cueing to reducing sedentary behavior
  • The impact of ergonomic interventions on endoscopy
  • Assessment of healthy worker survivor bias and ACGIH TLV for Hand Activity in a multi-country longitudinal cohort

Education

  • PhD – Environmental Health Sciences
    University of California, Berkeley
  • MS – Physical Therapy
    University of California, San Franscisco
  • MS – Kinesiology / Biomechanics
    San Francisco State University
  • BS – Psychology
    Tufts University

Courses Taught

    • PH 269C
    • Occupational Biomechanics
    • PH 269D
    • Ergonomics Seminar
    • IEOR 170
    • Human Factors in Industrial Design

Carisa Harris In the Media:

Grist
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