Professional Summary
Dr. Figgs joined the University of Kentucky Public Health faculty in 2007. He is a Ph.D. Biologist (University of Louisville, Louisville, KY; 1983). He is a past fellowship recipient from the U.S. Public Health Service (National Research Service Award in Molecular Endocrinology – Albany, NY), the New York State Department of Health (Management Development Fellowship (Albany, NY), and the National Cancer Institute (Epidemiology Training Fellowship – Rockville, MD). He is also a former (1995-2006) Saint Louis University School of Public Health tenured faculty member (St. Louis, MO) where he achieved Associate Professor rank. He has served as epidemiologic consultant for several public and private entities. In addition, he has served as peer reviewer for scientific journals and funding agencies. He also received a U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Commission (1983) and was honorably discharged 1990.
Education
B.S., Howard University, Washington, DC 1970
Ph.D., University of Louisville, Louisville, KY1983
MPH, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 1992
C.H.C.E. Saint Louis University, 2006
Research Interest
His interests range from epidemiology to ethics. His past focus has been epidemiologic study design and environmental/occupational disease epidemiology. Other interests include cellular responses following environmental exposures and environmental exposure assessment. Past projects have included population-based hypothesis driven initiatives (occupational cancer risk), cellular responses to environmental exposures (herbicides), cancer risk associated with occupations (lymphoma), toxic environmental exposures (lead, pesticides), and environmental health policy initiatives (residential lead exposure). Describing the role of local public health agencies in environmental health protection and practitioner training is also an interest.