Careers in Healthcare Yield Life-Saving Studies

At a time when many Americans wake up to read about healthcare news in the headlines, careers in healthcare are evolving into new roles. The network of these professionals, which includes biologists, insurance providers, nurses, pharmacists and hospital directors, comes together as an interdisciplinary team that works toward managing illness and preserving health. Some professionals may contribute to this field in ways which will allow others to live to thank them.

Dr Jesus Araujo, director of environmental cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was honored with the 2009 Outstanding New Environmental Scientist (ONES) grant award. The scientist was recognized for his research on the effects air pollution has on cardiovascular health.

Araujo determined that tiny particles dispensed in vehicle emissions trigger plaque buildup in human arteries, which can cause heart attacks or strokes.

The ONES grant, given to six researchers across the country, will allow the doctor to establish a UCLA program aimed at studying how air pollution affects the heart.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment in the healthcare industry will increase 22% by 2016, about twice as much as employment for all industries over the same period.