Dr. Anger, Senior Scientist and Associate Director for Occupational Research and Health Promotion, is an international leader in occupational neurotoxicology. He specializes in Behavioral Neurotoxicology, a field in which he has published several influential and widely-cited papers. Dr. Anger received his doctoral degree in Experimental and Physiological Psychology (1974) from the University of Maine. In 1971, he joined the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (while completing his Ph.D.), where he became a Scientist Director and Chief, Neurobehavioral Research Section.

My research focuses on the development of behavioral methods to identify nervous system deficits and the application of behavioral principles to develop effective training systems. We have designed and developed two computer-based testing systems for epidemiologic or field investigations: the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) to assess changes in the nervous system and the Health Screening System (HSS) to evaluate psychological conditions. Both BARS and HSS employ standard tests in the format we developed, which allows highly efficient testing. The objective of these testing systems is to identify and characterize deficits in humans of occupational or environmental exposure to neurotoxic chemicals (viz., pesticides and solvents) and physical agents (viz., heat). The ultimate goal of this research is to provide the basis for reducing occupational and environmental exposure standards and thus prevent or minimize human exposures to settings and agents at levels that are hazardous.

To effectively accomplish this goal of prevention, immediate strategies are required to effect behavioral change, especially in occupational and community populations. We have therefore developed cTRAIN, a computerized teaching system which employs proven behavioral education principles to teach information more effectively than existing systems or approaches.

Each of the testing (BARS, HSS) and training (cTRAIN) systems is specifically designed to be effective in the widest possible range of people, including those populations who are often ignored, such as the very young, the very old, and those who have limited education. Emphasis is placed on understanding the underlying test parameters and training principles that maximize the effectiveness of the systems and evaluation of their outcomes. The BARS and cTRAIN systems have been licensed to Northwest Education Training and Assessment (NwETA), an OHSU startup company led by Drs. Anger and Rohlman. More information on these testing and training systems can be found at the company website, http://www.nweta.com.

Rohlman DS, Lasarev M, Anger WK, Scherer J, Stupfel J, McCauley L. Neurobehavioral performance of adult and adolescent agricultural workers. Neurotoxicology, 2007, 28: 374-380.

Anger WK. Hänninen Lecture: Problems and prevention: Research in developing countries and immigrant populations from developing countries. Neurotoxicology, 2007, 28: 207-214.

Anger WK, Rohlman DS, Storzbach D. Human Behavioral Neurotoxicology: Workplace and Community Assessments. In: Environmental and Occupational Medicine. 4th Ed (WN Rom, ed.), Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; December, 2006.

Anger WK, Stupfel J, Ammerman T, Tamulinas A, Bodner T, Rohlman DS. The Suitability of Computer-based Training for Workers with Limited Formal Education: A Case Study from the US Agricultural Sector. International Journal of Training and Development, 2006, 10: 269-284.

Rohlman DS, Anger WK. Neurobehavioral Test Batteries for Children. In: DC Bellinger (Ed.), Human Developmental Neurotoxicology. (pp. 303-320). New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

McCauley LA, Anger WK, Keifer M, Langley R, Robson MG, Rohlman D. Studying Health Outcomes in Farmworker Populations Exposed to Pesticides Environmental Health Perspectives, 2006, 114: 953-960.

Kang SK, Rohlman DS, Lee MY, Lee HS, Chung SY, Anger WK. Neurobehavioral performance in workers exposed to toluene. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2005, 19, 645-650.

Rohlman DS, Eckerman DA, Ammerman TA, Fercho HL, Lundeen CA, Blomquist C, Anger WK. Quizzing and feedback in computer-based and book-based training for workplace safety and health. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2005, 24:1-26.

Anger WK, Tamulinas A, Uribe A, Ayala C. Computer-Based Training for Immigrant Latinos with Limited Education. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 2004, 26:373-389.

Eckerman DA, Abrahamson K, Ammerman T, Fercho H, Diane S. Rohlman DS, Anger WK. Computer-Based Training for Food Services Workers at a Hospital. Journal of Safety Research, in press.

Inserra SG, Phifer BL, Anger WK, Lewin M, Hilsdon R, White MC. Neurobehavioral Evaluation in a Community with Chronic Exposure to Hydrogen Sulfide. Environmental Research, in press.

Reif JS, Burch JB Nuckols JR, Metzger L, Anger WK. Neurobehavioral effects of exposure to trichloroethylene through a municipal water supply. Environmental Research, 2003, 9:248-258.

Kamel F, Rowland AS, Park LP, Anger WK, Baird DB, Gladen BC, Moreno T, Stallone L, Sandler DP. Neurobehavioral Performance and Work Experience in Florida Farmworkers Environmental Health Perspectives, 2003, 111:1765-1772.

Newland MC, Pennypacker HS, Anger WK, Mele P. Transferring behavioral technology across applications. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2003, 25: 529-542.

Rohlman DS, Gimenes L, Eckerman DA, Kang S-K, Farahat FM, Anger WK. Development of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) to Detect and Characterize Neurotoxicity in Humans. NeuroToxicology, 2003, 24: 523-531.

Farahat FM, Rohlman DS, Storzbach D, Ammerman T, Anger WK. Measures of short-term test-retest reliability of computerized neurobehavioral tests. NeuroToxicology, 2003, 60: 513-521.

Anger WK. Neurobehavioural tests and systems to assess neurotoxic exposures in the workplace and community. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2003; 60: 531-538.

Farahat TM, Abdelrasoul GM, Amr MM, Shebl MM, Farahat FM, Anger WK. Neurobehvioral effects among workers occupationally exposed to organophosphorous pesticides. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2003; 60: 279-286.