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Professor Damien McElvenny

Principal Epidemiologist

Damien is a biostatistician and epidemiologist working as a principal scientist in the Science Insights Team.  He has nearly 40 years’ experience working in a variety of roles relating to the statistical analysis of health data in the public and private sector.  Damien joined IOM in 2011 and has successfully led many research projects including those related to cancer in the lead, rubber, hard-metal and styrene industries as well as projects on shift work and cancer,  trauma and cancer, and respiratory diseases.  He has led a number of consultancy projects, including medico-legal reports on clinical and occupational epidemiology.  Damien is IOM’s lead for the MORSE study that is examining the neurological disease mortality of former professional footballers.  He is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, an Honorary Member of the Society of Occupational Medicine, and is a Chartered Statistician.

CONTACT DETAILS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • BSc (Hons)
  • MSc
  • PhD
  • CStat
  • Hon FFOM

COMMITTEE AND SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS:

  • Independent Scientific Member, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
  • Royal Statistical Society
  • International Commission on Occupational Health,  Epidemiology Scientific Committee (EPICOH)
  • Management Committee UK/Ireland Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Society

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND CONSULTANCY ACTIVITIES:

  • Meta-analyses and systematic reviews
  • Occupational epidemiology (respiratory disease, cancer, neurological disorders, mental health, musculoskeletal disorders)
  • Disease cluster investigations
  • Medico-legal reports (statistical and epidemiological)
  • Risk assessment
  • Health impact assessment

RECENT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (LAST 5 YEARS):

  • Hasting RL, Oude Hengel KM, Leinonen T, Bultmann U, Mehlum IS, Burdorf A, Turner MC, Salonen L, McElvenny DM, Solovieva S. Mapping dynamic working life patterns and the impact of occupational exposures: a scoping review.  BMC Public Health 2025; 25(1)2322.
  • Heibati B, Stenehejm JS, Pietea E, Turner MC, Schernhammer ES, McElvenny DM, Loney T, Straif K, Guseva Canu I. Indirect adjustment of tobacco smoking in occupational studies of lung cancer: a systematic review of the available methods and their applications.  Cancer Epidemiol 2025.
  • McElvenny DM, Iskandar I, Daniels S, Gittins M, van Tongeren M. Systematic review and meta-analysis of man-made vitreous fibres and respiratory health outcomes.  Ann Work Expo Health 2025, wxaf006.
  • Hew CY, McElvenny DM, Onwudike M. Longer term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on the role of compression after radiofrequency ablation of varicose veins. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2025;13(1):101963.
  • Christopher-de Vries Y, Burstyn I, Christensen MW, Notø H, Straif K, Pukkala E, et al. Assessing occupational styrene exposure in the European and US Glass Reinforced Plastics Industry for the period between 1947 and 2020. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2025;264:114494.
  • Rhodes S, Beale S, Daniels S, Gittins M, Mueller W, McElvenny D, et al. Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 in Europe: a review. Eur Respir Rev. 2024;33(173).
  • Peters S, Undem K, Solovieva S, Selander J, Schlünssen V, Oude Hengel KM, et al. Narrative review of occupational exposures and noncommunicable diseases. Ann Work Expo Health. 2024;68(6):562-80.
  • Mueller W, Darnton L, Christensen MW, Brooker F, Kolstad HA, McElvenny DM. Mortality and cancer incidence in the UK glass reinforced plastics manufacturing industry: a cohort study. Occup Environ Med. 2024.
  • McElvenny DM, Verbeek J, Gagliardi D, Tikka C, Hoving JL. Survey to assess the feasibility of establishing an international network for evidence synthesis in occupational safety and health. Occup Med (Lond). 2024;74(2):146-51.
  • du Prel JB, Koscec Bjelajac A, Franić Z, Henftling L, Brborović H, Schernhammer E, et al. The Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Depression: A Scoping Review. Public Health Rev. 2024;45:1606968.
  • Constantin AM, Noertjojo K, Sommer I, Pizarro AB, Persad E, Durao S, et al. Workplace interventions to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection outside of healthcare settings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024;4(4):Cd015112.
  • Schlunssen V, du Prel JB, van Tongeren M, Godderis L, Turner MC, McElvenny D, et al. Development of Harmonized COVID-19 Occupational Questionnaires. Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 2023;67(1):4-8.
  • Nys E, Pauwels S, Ádám B, Amaro J, Athanasiou A, Bashkin O, et al. Recognition of COVID-19 with occupational origin: a comparison between European countries. Occup Environ Med. 2023;80(12):694-701.
  • Basinas I, McElvenny DM, Brooker F, Robertson S, van Hoecke Y, Kemp S, et al. Exposure assessment for repeated sub-concussive head impacts in soccer: The HEalth and Ageing Data IN the Game of football (HEADING) study. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023;253:114235.
  • Pizarro AB, Persad E, Durao S, Nussbaumer-Streit B, Engela-Volker JS, McElvenny D, et al. Workplace interventions to reduce the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection outside of healthcare settings. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2022(5).
  • Mijakoski D, Cheptea D, Marca SC, Shoman Y, Caglayan C, Bugge MD, et al. Determinants of burnout among teachers: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2022;19(9):5776.
  • Martyn Y, McElvenny D. Role of shift work in dietary changes among Danish nurses. Occup Med (Lond). 2022;72(5):305-12.
  • Gallo V, McElvenny DM, Seghezzo G, Kemp S, Williamson E, Lu K, et al. Concussion and long-term cognitive function among rugby players-The BRAIN Study. Alzheimers Dement. 2022;18(6):1164-76.
  • Canu IG, Gaillen-Guedy A, Antilla A, Charles S, Fraize-Frontier S, Luce D, et al. Lung cancer mortality in the European cohort of titanium dioxide workers: a reanalysis of the exposure–response relationship. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2022;79(9):637-40.
  • Basinas I, McElvenny DM, Pearce N, Gallo V, Cherrie JW. A Systematic Review of Head Impacts and Acceleration Associated with Soccer. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(9).
  • Aktas E, Bergbom B, Godderis L, Kreshpaj B, Marinov M, Mates D, et al. Migrant workers occupational health research: an OMEGA-NET working group position paper. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022;95(4):765-77.
  • Shoman Y, El May E, Marca SC, Wild P, Bianchi R, Bugge MD, et al. Predictors of occupational burnout: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(17):9188.
  • Seghezzo G, Van Hoecke Y, James L, Davoren D, Williamson E, Pearce N, et al. Feasibility study of assessing the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) score via videoconferencing. J Neurol. 2021;268(6):2228-37.
  • McElvenny DM, Davis A, Dixon K, Alexander C, Gupta G, Nixon I, et al. Systematic review of the epidemiology of a single physical trauma and cancer. Trauma. 2021;23(3):175-87.
  • James L, Davies M, Mian S, Seghezzo G, Williamson E, Kemp S, et al. The BRAIN-Q, a tool for assessing self-reported sport-related concussions for epidemiological studies. Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021086.
  • Grime P, McElvenny DM, Madan I. Factors associated with sickness absence in a large NHS Trust. Occup Med (Lond). 2021;71(9):467-72.
  • Sweity S, Sutton C, Downe S, Balaam MC, McElvenny DM. Challenges to and facilitators of occupational epidemiology research in the UK. Health Policy. 2020;124(7):772-80.
  • Onwudike M, Abbas K, Thompson P, McElvenny DM. Editor’s Choice – Role of Compression After Radiofrequency Ablation of Varicose Veins: A Randomised Controlled Trial(☆). Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2020;60(1):108-17.
  • Mueller W, Cowie H, Horwell CJ, Baxter PJ, McElvenny D, Booth M, et al. Standardized epidemiological protocols for populations affected by volcanic eruptions. Bull World Health Organ. 2020;98(5):362-4.
  • Hidajat M, McElvenny DM, Ritchie P, Darnton A, Mueller W, Agius RM, et al. Lifetime cumulative exposure to rubber dust, fumes and N-nitrosamines and non-cancer mortality: a 49-year follow-up of UK rubber factory workers. Occup Environ Med. 2020;77(5):316-23.
  • Gallo V, Motley K, Kemp SPT, Mian S, Patel T, James L, et al. Concussion and long-term cognitive impairment among professional or elite sport-persons: a systematic review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020;91(5):455-68.
  • DeMarini DM, Carreón-Valencia T, Gwinn WM, Hopf NB, Sandy MS, Bahadori T, et al. Carcinogenicity of some aromatic amines and related compounds. The Lancet Oncology. 2020;21(8):1017-8.
  • Steenland K, Barry V, Anttila A, Sallmen M, Mueller W, Ritchie P, et al. Cancer incidence among workers with blood lead measurements in two countries. Occup Environ Med. 2019;76(9):603-10.

 

 

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