STAC Members

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111-347, as amended by Pub. L. 114-113, Pub. L. 116-59, Pub. L. 117-328, and Pub. L. 118-31, codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 300mm et seq. (Zadroga Act) establishes the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC). The Zadroga Act designates the committee as subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and sets forth a minimum composition of 15 members with specifically identified areas of expertise. The Administrator of the WTC Health Program is responsible for appointing members to the STAC. The term of a committee member may last up to four years. If a vacancy occurs, the Administrator of the WTC Health Program will appoint a new member in the same area of expertise as the individual they replace. Once a member has completed their term, they may be appointed to additional terms.

Below is the current list of STAC members, their area of expertise, their affiliations, and their committee term:

STAC Members and their Affiliations

Chair

Elizabeth M. Ward, Ph.D.
Epidemiologist
Captain (retired)
Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service
Asheville, NC
Term: 3/18/2022 – 9/30/2025

Designated Federal Officer

Tania Carreón-Valencia, Ph.D., M.S.
Senior Scientist
World Trade Center Health Program
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Members

John Comiskey, Ed.D.
Representative of WTC responders
Associate Professor of Homeland Security
Department of Criminal Justice
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ
Term: 3/7/2022 – 9/30/2025

Joanna Gaitens, Ph.D., M.S.N./M.P.H., R.N.
Environmental medicine or environmental health specialist
Assistant Professor
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Term: 3/8/2022 – 9/30/2025

Mridu Gulati, M.D., M.P.H.
Occupational physician
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
Term: 3/29/2022 – 9/30/2025

Thomas Hart
Representative of WTC responders
President
International Union of Operating Engineers - Local 94
New York, NY
Term: 3/18/2024 – 9/30/2027

Mariama James
Representative of certified-eligible WTC survivors
Co-Chair
Manhattan Community Board 1
Quality of Life Committee
WTCHP Survivors Steering Committee
New York, NY
Term: 10/1/2020 – 3/29/2025

Anita Jose, Ph.D.
Mental health professional
Director
Child Welfare Programs
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, NY
Term: 10/2/2020 – 3/29/2025

Indrina Dalal Kanth
Representative of certified-eligible WTC survivors
Chief of Staff
Rocky Mountain Prep
Denver, CO
Term: 3/28/2022 – 9/30/2025

Alya Khan, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.O.E.M.
Occupational physician
Associate Clinical Professor
Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Program Director
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA
Term: 3/18/2024 – 9/30/2027

Michael D. Larrañaga, Ph.D., F.A.I.H.A., P.E., C.I.H., C.S.P.
Industrial hygienist
Managing Principal, President, and Co-Founder
Risk Engineering and Management
Dallas, TX
Term: 10/1/2020 – 3/29/2025

Michele Marcus, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Environmental medicine or environmental health specialist
Professor
Departments of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, and Pediatrics
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Term: 3/15/2024 – 9/30/2027

Steven Markowitz, M.D., Dr.PH.
Occupational physician with experience treating WTC rescue and recovery workers
Professor and Director
Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment
Queens College
City University of New York
Professor
DrPH Program
CUNY School of Public Health
Term: 3/9/2022 – 9/30/2025

Jason W. Ostrowe, Ph.D.
Representative of WTC responders
Assistant Professor
Borough of Manhattan Community College
New York, NY
Term: 10/1/2020 – 3/29/2025

Aarti B. Surti, M.D., M.H.C.D.S.
Representative of certified-eligible WTC survivors
Associate Medical Director
Oscar Center
Oscar Health
Brooklyn, NY
Term: 10/5/2020 – 3/29/2025

Glenn Talaska, Ph.D., C.I.H.
Toxicologist
Professor Emeritus and Past interim Chair
Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, OH
Term: 3/8/2022 – 9/30/2025

Printer friendly version of the list of STAC Members:
STAC 2024-25 roster [PDF, 3 pages, 29 KB]