Megan Latshaw

Megan Latshaw works to improve health through changes in our environment. Her efforts focus on making science useful for lawmakers, those working in public health or environmental agencies, and the general public.

Examples of Latshaw’s efforts include creating the State Environmental Health Directors group and providing a vision and groundwork for the National Biomonitoring Network. Her research focuses on designing healthy communities, studying the impact of transit policies on health, and improving environmental health surveillance.

With a doctorate in environmental health sciences from Johns Hopkins, she recently rejoined their faculty after working for more than a decade in the nonprofit world. Following Michael Bloomberg’s recent $300 million gift to transform American health, Latshaw was asked to serve as the co-lead for the Environmental Challenges focus area. She also serves as director of two master’s degree programs, co-director of a third, and teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her massive open online course on Chemicals & Health has enrolled more than 35,000 students from all over the world.

She is the past chair of the American Public Health Association’s Intersectional Council, served as a past executive board member and past chair of the Environment Section, and is a former governing councilor at APHA. she has participated on more than a dozen committees, presented at almost two dozen meetings, and co-authored seven peer-reviewed articles (the first of which was published in JAMA).

Prior to Hopkins, Megan worked to strengthen environmental and public health laboratories as the environmental health director at the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Her team focused on creating a national biomonitoring system, testing for agents of chemical terrorism, and building a home base for environmental laboratories. Before that, Megan served as the senior director for environmental health policy at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.