About the Centre for Occupational Disease Prevention
While the Centre for Occupational Disease Prevention was launched in 2023, the University of Toronto (U of T) has contributed to the field of occupational health and safety for over 100 years. U of T is unique in Canada for offering English language training in all of epidemiology, occupational hygiene and occupational medicine.
Affiliated faculty members have diverse knowledge in public health, medicine, and engineering. Faculty members are highly respected experts in their fields and have invested decades in building academic research and training programs.
Our aspirational vision is a world without occupational diseases.
The work of the CODP revolves around four pillars:
- Research that advances our understanding of the causes of occupational diseases and prevention strategies, including exposure risks in the workplace and their mitigation.
- Implementation & Evaluation of prevention strategies through a research-to-action framework that includes diverse occupational health and safety community stakeholders.
- Education for students and professionals that supports improved implementation of evidence-based occupational health and safety practices.
- Impact on regulatory and public policy to improve occupational disease prevention in workplaces and among workers, including at federal and provincial jurisdictions.
Affiliated Research Centres
The CODP has two primary affiliated research centres: the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and the Centre for Expertise in Occupational Disease.
Occupational Cancer Research Centre
Centre for Expertise in Occupational Disease
Events and Activities
Professional Development
There are several programs hosted across the University of Toronto that support professional development and continuing education. These may be of interest to the CODP community, including:
Occupational and Environmental Health Seminars
Trainee Journal Club
Audience: Occupational Medicine Residents, Fellows and students studying Occupational and Environmental Health
| Date | Paper for Discussion |
| March 20, 2026 | “Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs in Twelve French Health Care Setting: Biological Monitoring and Surface Contamination”, S Ndaw and A Rem |
| January 23, 2026 | “Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and first-time acute myocardial infarction: a nationwide register-based cohort study 1976-2018”, R Wils , E Flachs , Z Stokholm , P Gustavsson , N Plato , H Kolstad , C Sejbæk , C Brauer , V Schlünssen , K Hougaard , I Madsen , R Rugulies , Ma Ketzel , J Hansen , C Bang , H Kromhout , I Mehlum , J Bonde |
| November 25, 2025 | “From checkups to change: Longitudinal changes in lifestyle-related factors following repeated occupational health assessments among 106 005 Swedish workers”, D Väisänen, E Ekblom-Bak, L Eriksson, L Kallings, M Svartengren, R Lundmark, M Lindwall, V Blom, A Stenling |
| October 17, 2025 | “Health effects of repeated exposures during wildland firefighting: a data-linkage cohort study from Alberta, Canada”, N Cherry, M Fedun, J-M Galarneau, D. Senkevics, T Zadunayski |
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How to Get Involved
Students
The CODP is based in the Occupational and Environmental Health Division of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH). Our faculty are particularly interested in welcoming graduate students interested in pursuing occupational disease prevention research at the University of Toronto. Students will often enroll at the DLSPH, but the CODP includes faculty and students from many other faculties at U of T, including Applied Science and Engineering, Medicine, and others.
Prospective students are encouraged to review the affiliated faculty list as well as the information available online for prospective DLSPH students.
Information is also available for graduate students interested in applying to Applied Science and Engineering or Medicine. Often the best point of contact is the program director for the program of interest.
Students, current and prospective, are always welcome to attend events and professional development.
Faculty
We are building a community of researchers focussed on occupational disease prevention and welcome new affiliated faculty. Faculty interested in affiliation with the CODP can contact Prof. Victoria Arrandale at codp.dlsph@utoronto.ca.
Contact
For more information on the CODP please contact Prof. Victoria Arrandale at codp.dlsph@utoronto.ca