Peter James, MHS, ScD

Peter James is a postdoctoral fellow in the Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research focuses on the impact of the built environment on health, spanning from issues of building materials and components of building design to aspects of transportation and planning. Peter earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania in Earth and Environmental Sciences and the History and Sociology of Science. He holds a Master of Health Sciences degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where he wrote his thesis on the Health Impacts of Urban Form. Peter completed his Doctor of Science Degree in Environmental Health and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and his dissertation was on the Effect of the Built Environment on Health and Health Behaviors. He has worked as an environmental consultant preparing environmental impact assessments, has conducted literature reviews for the Institute of Medicine, and has conducted health impact assessments for Boston's regional planning agency, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Peters past research has centered on the use of natural ventilation to prevent the transmission of tuberculosis in hospitals in Peru, as well as health symptoms and factors of indoor environmental quality in green buildings compared to conventional buildings.