Laura Linnan, ScD
Principal Investigator and Center Director
Leadership
Our Team
Collaborating across disciplines to advance worker safety, health and well-being
The Carolina Center for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-being is one of 10 Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health® funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Our goal is to generate new knowledge and to improve worker health, safety and well-being in North Carolina, the southeast region, and the nation. We have a special focus on essential workers and the impact of working conditions on health outcomes. Our Center includes opportunities for research (including pilot funding), outreach and education activities, and opportunities for networking across multiple disciplines. We are interested in understanding and improving work and working conditions for everyone.
The Carolina Center is led by Dr. Laura Linnan, Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, who serves as the Principal Investigator and Center Director.
Currently, the Center supports two major research initiatives:
Rural and Urban Clinician Well-being and Targeted Improvement Interventions During COVID-19
This project was co-directed by Dr. Lukasz Mazur (UNC School of Medicine), Dr. Marianne Baernholdt (UNC School of Nursing) and Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody (UNC School of Medicine). The study examined differences in the health and well-being of nurses and physicians working in rural versus urban settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total Worker Health (TWH) Approach to Reduce Falls and Advance Fall Protection in Firefighters
Led by Dr. Eric Ryan from the UNC Department of Exercise and Sport Science, this project addresses the prevention of slips, trips, and falls among firefighters. The study has enrolled over 900 firefighters from 21 departments and documented 375 incidents involving slips, trips, and/or falls. In summer 2025, the project will examine the feasibility of a workplace participatory approach to engage firefighters in the research process and design of TWH interventions to mitigate STF injuries.
Total Worker Health® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Participation by the Carolina Center for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-Being does not imply endorsement by HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Interested in Becoming an Affiliate?
We welcome participation in and contribution to our work from interested individuals and organizations. If you would like to get involved, there are many ways to collaborate with us. Our affiliates are researchers, worker health and safety professionals, worker groups and employers who are interested in collaborating in our Center’s work and advancing our mission. This work can include co-sponsoring outreach and education events, partnering as a research site, co-writing grant applications together, and more.
Start the conversation by filling out our affiliate member engagement form and emailing us at healthywork@unc.edu
