Recipients of the 2025 W. Kent and Billie F. Anger Impact Awards for Research

The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has named the recipients of the prestigious W. Kent and Billie F. Anger Impact Awards for Research. Associate Professor Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D., received the Impact Award for Basic/Clinical Research. Professor and Associate Director for Applied Research Leslie Hammer, Ph.D., received the Impact Award for Applied Research.

The Impact Awards recognize Institute faculty for pursuing, conducting, and disseminating research that has the potential for positive impacts on workers in Oregon and beyond. Recipients of the awards receive a $2,500 honorarium.

To receive the applied science award, nominees must have conducted research that produced practical changes to improve safety, health, or well-being for working people demonstrated in or derived from published work. To receive the basic/clinical sciences, nominees must have conducted research that produces discoveries about biological mechanisms, functions, or clinical practice/treatment. The recipients are nominated by their colleagues and selected by a jury of peers based on the significance and quality of the research.

Support for the Institute Impact Awards for Research comes from W. Kent and Billie F. Anger. Dr. Anger is an Emeritus Professor and former Associate Director of Applied Research at the Institute. OccHealthSci thanks Kent and Billie for their generous contributions to the Impact Awards and their commitment to recognizing the quality and utility of research produced by faculty at the Institute.

Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D. - Impact Award for Basic/Clinical Research 

Associate Professor Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D. has made significant contributions to the basic/clinical research missions of the Institute. Specifically, Dr. Thosar has made broad contributions to the scientific understanding of how endogenous circadian systems and routine behaviors, including sleep, exercise, and physical inactivity, affect cardiovascular health in humans. Most notably, his paper, “The endogenous circadian system impairs nighttime blood pressure response to active standing in older adults,” identified a vulnerability that may meaningfully increase nighttime fall risk in older adults and was selected as an “Editor’s Choice” article in the Journal of Physiology in 2025. 

Dr. Thosar also published important research in 2025 that helps explain why certain health patterns occur. In one study, he found that going to bed at the same time each night may help lower blood pressure — a simple habit that doesn't require medication. Other studies looked at how the body's internal clock affects blood vessels, especially in people with sleep apnea, and how the time of day can change the way blood pressure responds to exercise. He also found that the relationship between sleep timing and morning heart risk may differ between men and women. Dr. Thosar was the lead or senior author on all five of these papers, which together build a clear picture of how sleep, body clocks, blood vessels, and blood pressure are all connected.

Leslie Hammer, Ph.D. - Impact Award for Applied Research 

Professor Leslie Hammer, Ph.D. has made significant contributions to the applied research mission of the Institute. Specifically, Dr. Hammer has made broad contributions to the translation of occupational health research into practical, scalable tools that directly benefit workers and organizations. Most notably, she developed the Workplace Mental Health Training for Managers, an evidence-based, self-paced online program that teaches managers to recognize signs of employee distress and respond with supportive strategies — representing a premier example of moving rigorous science into real-world practice.

The practical reach of Dr. Hammer's work is particularly evident across Oregon, where the training has achieved meaningful adoption at both the organizational and systems level. External organizations have licensed the use of the training for over 2,000 workers; nine Oregon state agencies have formally adopted the program, and the training is now accessible to more than 45,000 state employees. By reducing workplace mental health risk factors such as anger and loneliness, Dr. Hammer's research has produced tangible improvements in the safety, health, and well-being of the regional workforce.

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Researchers at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences are committed to improving the workforce’s safety, health, and well-being. We achieve this aim by pursuing new knowledge and a greater understanding of the issues facing workers here in Oregon and beyond and translating research discoveries into practical solutions. The W. Kent and Billlie F. Anger Impact Awards for Applied and Basic/Clinical Research recognize our outstanding faculty members and their contributions to the occupational sciences. Please join us in congratulating Impact Award recipients Professor Hammer and Associate Professor Thosar.