Glorian Sorensen

Glorian Sorensen, Research Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has revolutionized workplace health interventions through her groundbreaking research spanning four decades. After earning her PhD in sociology and MPH from the University of Minnesota, she has established herself as a leading figure in occupational health research. As founding Director of the Harvard Chan Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing, and Director of the Center for Community-Based Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she has conducted pioneering research integrating occupational safety with health promotion. Her landmark 1989 study was the first to demonstrate that combining workplace safety with health promotion significantly improved health outcomes for blue-collar workers. She has designed and implemented interventions across diverse industries including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and transportation, particularly focusing on low-income and multi-ethnic populations. Her research extends internationally through tobacco control studies in India, where she developed effective interventions for teachers in Bihar state. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the 2017 Mark Dundon Research Award, and has influenced workplace health policies globally. Through over 250 published articles and extensive research grants, Sorensen continues to shape understanding of how organizational factors impact worker health and safety, while mentoring the next generation of public health researchers