Draft:Petros Koutrakis

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Petros Koutrakis
Born	Crete, Greece
Education	University of Paris (PhD, MS) University of Patras (BS)
Title	Professor of Environmental Health
Awards	2020 Lyman A. Ripperton Environmental Educator

Petros Koutrakis is a Greek environmental scientist, researcher, and head of the Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is known for his contribution to air pollution epidemiology and creation of personal ozone monitors, ambient particle concentrators, high-volume samplers, and continuous fine particle measurement techniques. His involvement in fracking related health studies has received national media coverage.

Early life and education

Born in Greece, he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Patras in 1980. He earned an M.S. degree in Atmospheric Chemistry in 1982, and then completed a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry in 1984, both at the University of Paris. His post-doctoral studies in Exposure Assessment were conducted at Harvard University.

Career

Petros Koutrakis has made contributions to environmental health sciences throughout his tenure at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which spans more than 35 years. His primary research focus revolves around the development of human exposure measurement techniques and the investigation of sources, transport, and the fate of air pollutants. Collaborating with colleagues in the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, he has developed technologies such as ambient particle concentrators, high-volume samplers, personal ozone monitors, and continuous fine particle measurement techniques. These tools have been adopted globally by air pollution scientists and human exposure assessors.

In addition to his role as Professor of Environmental Sciences at Harvard University, Dr. Koutrakis holds the leadership position Head of the Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program. He has been at the lead of multi-center research initiatives such as the EPA/Harvard University Center for Ambient Particle Health Effects, the Cyprus/Harvard School of Public Health Program, and he is the Director of the Harvard/MIT Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) Center. He also served as the Technical Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association from 1994 to 2003.

His work pointing to elevated radiation levels and premature deaths near fracking sites received national media coverage in 2020 and 2022. This topic was of particular interest in national discourse at the time given political controversy in which President Donald Trump praised fracking for its economic benefits, claiming it has allowed the U.S. to grow economically.

Dr. Koutrakis is the recipient of the 2017 EPA Level I Scientific and Technological Achievement Award for his work on demonstrating the effects of air pollution on individuals with prior cardiac complications. Acknowledging his contributions, Dr. Koutrakis received the 2020 Lyman A. Ripperton Environmental Educator Award

Dr. Koutrakis has authored and co-authored 500+ peer-reviewed papers on the fields of air quality, exposure, health effects assessment, and instrumentation, and his portfolio includes 10 U.S. patents. He conducts studies around the world in the United States, Canada, Spain, Chile, Kuwait, Cyprus, and Greece. Beyond the investigation of human exposures to gaseous and particulate air pollutants, Dr. Koutrakis's research also assesses the effects of particulate matter on cardiac and pulmonary health.