Karen Messing
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Prof. Messing
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| Born | 2 February 1943 Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Subject | Ergomics and occupational health |
Karen Messing (born 2 February 1943) is a Canadian geneticist and ergonomist. She is an emeritus professor in the biological sciences at the University of Quebec at Montreal.[1] She is known for her work on gender, environmental health and ergonomics. She was given the Jacques Rousseau Award in 1993, the Governor General's Award in 2009, and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 27, 2019.
Messing was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1943. She studied social sciences at Harvard before deciding to focus on science. She went to McGill University in Montreal where she studied biology, genetics and chemistry. She faced prejudice from colleagues because she was a single mother.[2]
She began teaching at University of Quebec at Montreal in 1976 and two years later she was conducting research amongst phosphate workers. She knew of the potential and radioactivity and discovered that amongst six workers, four of them had children with birth defects like a club foot. She did manage to get dust extraction equipment installed but only on the proviso that the researchers left the factory. Messing reflects that this event focused her later work on occupational health.[2]
In 1990 she spent a year studying a toilet cleaner named Nina who walked 23 km every day as she cleaned toilets in 1–2 minutes. This work led to recommendations that were adopted and to her specializing in ergonomics and winning an award.[2] She was given the Jacques Rousseau Award in 1993. This award recognises leading Canadians who are working across disciplines.[3]
Messing co-founded the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Health, Society and the Environment (CINBIOSE) at her university.[4]
She has worked for thirty years to also increase opportunities for women. She chaired the committee that advises on gender and ergonomics at the International Association of Ergonomics.
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