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Melissa J. Perry, dean of George Mason University’s College of Public Health, has been appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Clinical Follow-Up and Care for Those Impacted by the JP-5 Releases at Red Hill. Her expertise in occupational health and environmental epidemiology will help inform clinical recommendations for the 93,000 employees exposed to toxic aviation fuel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in 2021.
As a widely respected researcher and public health leader, Perry has spent her career examining the impact of environmental exposures on health and developing strategies for disease prevention. A highly cited scholar, she has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed studies and contributed to national policy discussions on occupational and environmental health.
As the inaugural dean of Virginia’s first College of Public Health, Perry has been a driving force in advancing integrative health, immersive technologies in education, and interdisciplinary collaboration, establishing the College as a national leader in public health research and training. Under her leadership, the College is on track to become the first in Virginia accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and is home to the nation’s only Society for Simulation in Healthcare-accredited immersive learning lab within a school or college of public health.
In addition to her scholarly contributions, Perry is a past president of the American College of Epidemiology, has chaired multiple federal scientific advisory committees, and was elected a fellow of the prestigious Collegium Ramazzini for her pioneering work in occupational and environmental health. Her expertise has been featured in national and international media on topics ranging from pesticides and fertility to toxins in school lunches and virtual reality in public health education.
Her appointment to this prestigious National Academies committee is an opportunity to contribute to national efforts addressing complex environmental health challenges and reflects her ongoing commitment to improving public health through research, policy, and education.
Perry holds a Doctor of Science and Master of Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University School.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine are committed to providing independent, objective analysis, and advice to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The committee will recommend guidance on clinical actions that can be taken to monitor the health of community members exposed during the November 2021 release of Jet Propellant 5 (JP-5) aviation fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility into the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam water distribution system.