Glorian Sorensen

Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Principal Investigator for the Harvard Chan School's Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing. This Center, funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, represents a strong collaboration between the Departments of Environmental Health, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The core of Dr. Sorensen’s research is randomized worksite- and community-based studies that test the effectiveness of theory-driven interventions targeting individual and organizational change. A theme of this work is to test the efficacy of behavioral and organizational interventions that are embedded in the social context or environment in which people live and work. Her research has focused on a range of settings, particularly worksites and labor unions. She conducted the first randomized controlled worksite intervention trials to integrate occupational health and health behaviors, and has designed and tested cancer prevention interventions in across a range of industries, including manufacturing, construction, health care, social service, and transportation, and with small and large worksites. These interventions aim in particular to address disparities in worker health outcomes and to be effective for low-income, multi-ethnic populations.

Dr. Sorensen’s research also examines disparities in tobacco control and consumption in India; she has developed strong collaborations with investigators at the Healis-Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health in Mumbai.