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Two women laughing while trying on an exoskeleton

Our faculty and leadership are composed of academics, engineers, and professionals who have years of experience researching, teaching and consulting on the prevention of occupational injuries.

Through on campus classes, online classes and various workshops, this group of individuals ensures that we have well trained and supported students, researchers and practitioners here and abroad. One aspect of the core faculty’s reputation and strength is the extramural support obtained. Research grants, gifts, and consultation services provide approximately 90% of the funding support for the Ergonomics Program.

Program Director

Carisa Harris, PhD, CPE 

Associate Professor and Director Carisa Harris Adamson, PhD, CPE is the primary graduate advisor for M.S., MPH and Ph.D. students; approximately 50% of her time is directly involved in teaching and mentoring (e.g. courses, oversight of graduate students' research projects, mentoring field/clinical internships etc).  She is a Faculty Member in the Department of Medicine at University of California San Francisco with a multi-location appointment in the Environmental Health Sciences Department in the School of Public Health at University of California at Berkeley.   

PubMed MyNCBI:   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1js35l-gY6kAQ/bibliography/public/

Core Program Faculty & Staff

Frederick Houghton

Staff Engineer for Human Factors & Ergonomics Lab
Human Factors & Ergonomics

Frederick (Freddie) Houghton is an EH&S Specialist for the Department of Occupational Medicine at UCSF. He recently earned his M.S. from UC Berkeley in mechanical engineering with a concentration in biomechanics and an emphasis in human factors and ergonomics, as well as his B.S. in...Read more about Frederick Houghton

Alan Barr, MS

Senior engineer on staff at the UCB/UCSF Ergonomics Graduate Training Program

Alan has degrees in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. He is the senior engineer on staff at the UCB/UCSF Ergonomics Graduate Training Program. He spent the last 13 years collaborating on research related to health and safety issues surrounding the use of hand-operated drills used in...Read more about Alan Barr, MS

David Rempel, MD, MPH

Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus David Rempel MD, MPH, started the UC Ergonomics Program in 1991. He has been teaching, doing research, and consulting in the field of ergonomics for 20 years and is a Certified Professional Ergonomist. He continues his research part-time through...Read more about David Rempel, MD, MPH

Meg Honan, MS, CPE, PT

Instructor, Consultant
UCSF

Meg is an EH&S specialist for the Department of Occupational Medicine at UCSF. She also serves and an instructor and development team member working with the University of California Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (...Read more about Meg Honan, MS, CPE, PT

Melissa Afterman, MS-HFE, CPE

Head of Professional Development, Instructor, Researcher
UCSF

Melissa is a board Certified Professional Ergonomist and the Head of Professional Development for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Program. In this role, she applies her 20 years of ergonomics consulting experience to guide students on a pathway to working in industry. Working with the...Read more about Melissa Afterman, MS-HFE, CPE

Fadi Fathallah, PhD

Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis Professor

Professor Fadi Fathallah, PhD, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis, provides lectures in the Ergonomics course at UC Berkeley. His expertise in spine biomechanics (with Professor Krause’s expertise in low back pain) helps to fill a previously...Read more about Fadi Fathallah, PhD

Affiliated Faculty

Ken Goldberg, MS, PhD

Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Professor

Professor Ken Goldberg, MS, PhD, joined the university five years ago and is responsible for teaching human factors courses in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley. He lectures on human factors issues in the Ergonomics course (PH269C...Read more about Ken Goldberg, MS, PhD

Dr. Niklas Krause, MD, MPH, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCSF

Dr. Niklas Krause, MD, MPH, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCSF with expertise in the epidemiology of low back pain related to work and psychosocial and work organizational factors. Professor Krause lectures in PH269C and PH269D and advises students conducting...Read more about Dr. Niklas Krause, MD, MPH, PhD

Grace O’Connell

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, College of Engineering
Research Description:

Biomechanics of cartilage and intervertebral disc; tissue engineering; continuum modeling of soft tissues; intervertebral disc function, degeneration, and regenerationRead more about Grace O’Connell

Dr. Jim Potvin, PhD, CCPE

Professor Emeritus, McMaster University

Jim received a B.H.K. in Kinesiology from the University of Windsor (1986) and a M.Sc. (1988) and Ph.D. (1992) in biomechanics from the University of Waterloo. He was a professor for 23 years at the University of Guelph, University of Windsor and McMaster University, where is he now a...Read more about Dr. Jim Potvin, PhD, CCPE

Dr. Michelle Robertson, PhD, CPE

Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University, Director, Office Ergonomics Research Committee.

Michelle is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) and holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology, M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Human Factors/Ergonomics from the University of California Santa Barbara. She is a Fellow of the...Read more about Dr. Michelle Robertson, PhD, CPE