Rafael E. de la Hoz MD MPH, MSc, ATSF, FACP, FCCP

Occupational & Environmental Lung Disease

Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

1 Gustave L Levy PlaceSCOH/WTC HP CCE Box 1059New York, NY 10029
Phone+1 212-241-1652
Fax+1 212-241-5516

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Summary

Dr. de la Hoz has had a longstanding career and research interest in clinical occupational respiratory toxicology, occupational obstructive lung diseases, and pneumoconioses. Since 2002, Dr. de la Hoz has followed and characterized the types of bronchial disease associated with occupational toxicant exposures at the WTC disaster site. From his initial clinical descriptions, he moved to the investigation, as the principal investigator of a project on the correlation of symptoms, pulmonary functional, and qualitative and quantitative chest CT scan findings in the WTC occupational cohort followed at Mount Sinai Medical Center. For his clinical, research and educational work, he received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Thoracic Society, Section on Terrorism and Inhalational Disasters.

Virtual school on work-related lung diseases - ERS Respiratory Channel

This course aimed at encouraging the consideration of occupational and environmental exposures into the differential diagnosis of major lung disease patterns

Mount Sinai Division of Occupational Medicine Grand Rounds

Lecture series on Occupational, Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health topics

2024 American Thoracic Society Lifetime Achievement Award, TID Section

American Thoracic Society

Irritants and Airborne Pollutants in Adult Asthma - ERS Respiratory Channel

26-October-2023 Discussion of clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic aspects of irritant- and pollutant-induced airway injury and resulting asthma.

Education & Training

New York University-Graduate School of Arts and SciencesMSc, Environmental Health Sciences, 1995 - 2000
Yale University-School of Epidemiology and Public HealthMPH, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, 1990 - 1993
Yale University School of MedicineOccupational and Environmental Medicine, 1990 - 1992
University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, BCPulmonology, Pulmonary Disease Fellowship, 1988 - 1990
University of Miami/Jackson Health SystemResidency, Internal Medicine, 1985 - 1988

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Certifications & Licensure

NY State Medical License 1993 - 2028
FL State Medical License 1987 - 2000
CT State Medical License 1991 - 1993
American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
American Board of Preventive Medicine Occupational Medicine

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

Occupational Medicine Top Doctor, New York Metro Area Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., 2015-2026
Lifetime Achievement Award American Thoracic Society, Section on Terrorism and Inhalational Disasters, 2024
Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication The Joseph F. Cullman, Jr. Institute for Patient Experience at Mount Sinai, 2020, 2023

Clinical Trials

WTC Chest CT Imaging Archive Start of enrollment: 2012 Sep 01
ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Publications & Presentations

Journal Articles

Climate-amplified wildland–urban interface disasters create persistent internal metal mixtures associated with pulmonary impairment
Maunakea AK, Le B, de la Hoz RE, Lee AG, Zhang Z, Kamaka M, Lowery M, Umeda L, Yamamoto B, Schilling K, Juarez R, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2026;123:e2613208123, 9/28/2026
Interstitial lung abnormalities and disease in World Trade Center workers and volunteers
Johnson-Crooks J, Weber J, Xu D, Doucette JT, Zhang Z, Reeves AP, San Jose Estepar R, Celedón JC, de la Hoz RE, Occup Med (Lond) [in press], 8/17/2026
Toxic skies of war
Moitra S, Annesi-Maesano I, Alghamdi MS, Balmes JR, Bayram H, Das K, de la Hoz RE, De Matteis S, García-Aymerich J, Johannessen A, Mirsaeidi M, Murgia N, Lancet Respir Med 2026;14:e51-e52, 5/29/2026

Books/Book Chapters

Modern Occupational Diseases Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Management and Prevention
Chapter: Occupational Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Page 104 - 127Szeinuk J, de la Hoz REEditors: Bang KM.Bentham Science Publishers, SingaporeEdition 1st,2022
Parkes' Occupational Lung Disorders
Chapter: Occupational Lung Carcinogens
Page 241 - 257Field RW, de la Hoz REEditors: Newman Taylor A, Cullinan P, Blanc P, and Pickering A.CRC Press, Boca Raton, FLEdition 4th,2016
Environmental and Occupational Medicine
Chapter: Dysbarism
Page 1309 - 1325de la Hoz RE, Krieger BEditors: Rom WN, Markowitz SB.Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott, PhiladelphiaEdition 4th,2007

Abstracts/Posters

Longitudinal trends in current smoking rates in an occupational WTC cohort [Abstract]
de la Hoz RE, Zhang Z, Doucette JT, Globina Y, Garg M, Ross JC, Weber J, Celedón JC, 2026 ERS International Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 9/9/2026
WTC responders with low FVC pattern had higher quantitative CT interstitial lung abnormality markers [Abstract]
Zhang Z, Weber J, San José Estépar R, Doucette JT, Celedón JC, de la Hoz RE, 2026 ERS International Congress [submitted], Barcelona, Spain, 9/9/2026
World Trade Center workers with accelerated lung function decline had higher longitudinal increase in body mass index [Abstract]
Zhang Z, San José Estépar R, Ross JC, Weber J, Doucette JT, Celedón JC, de la Hoz RE, 2026 ERS International Congress [submitted], Barcelona, Spain, 9/9/2026

Other

Occupational chronic airway disease among World Trade Center workers and volunteers
de la Hoz RE, Lung Health Professional Magazine
1/1/2011
COPD and GERD
Annan E, Glen C, de la Hoz RE, Raskin J, Lung Health Professional Magazine
1/1/2011
Clinical Guidelines for Adults Exposed to the WTC Disaster
de la Hoz RE, City Health Information
1/1/2008

Grant Support

Identifying body composition metrics as predictors of reduced expiratory flow in an occupational WTC cohort on longitudinal surveillance (co-I, PI: Zhang)National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health2026–2027
Enhancing Surveillance Spirometry of At-Risk Occupationally Exposed PopulationsICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI2024–2026
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disase in WTC Workers - Diagnoses and TransitionsICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI2023–2026
Disturbed Sleep and Cardiovascular Outcomes in WTC Responders (co-I, PI: Sunderram)The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)2023–2026
Pulmonary Diseases in WTC Workers: Symptoms, Function, and Chest CT CorrelatesICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI2022–2026

Committees

Chair, European Respiratory Society, Environment and Epidemiology Assembly 2026 - Present
Secretary, International Commission on Occupational Health, Scientific Committee on Respiratory Disorders 2024 - Present
Management Committee Member, International Commission on Occupational Health, Scientific Committee on Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) 2024 - Present
Member, European Respiratory Society, Science Council, College of Experts 2015 - Present
Member, Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, Editorial Board 2015 - Present

Research History

Principal Investigator, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in WTC Workers: Diagnoses and TransitionsThe goal of this proposal is to characterize the transitions into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among former workers and volunteers at the WTC disaster site.2017 - Present
Principal investigator, Pulmonary Diseases in WTC Workers and Volunteers: Symptoms, Function, and Chest CT Imaging CorrelatesInvestigation of qualitative and quantitative chest CT scan measurements to characterize the chronic lower airway diseases temporally associated with occupational WTC exposures, and investigate the adverse impact of obesity on those diseases.2012 - Present
Principal Investigator, Clinical Presentation of Adverse Health Effects of Occupational Exposures at the World Trade Center Disaster SiteThis project endeavors to describe the range of adverse health effects (particularly upper and lower airway disease, sleep disordered breathing, and gastroesophageal reflux disorders) presented by the workers and volunteers at the WTC disaster site in 2001-2002.2003 - Present

Professional Memberships

American College of Physicians - ACP
Fellow
American College of Chest Physicians - ACCP
Fellow
American Thoracic Society - ATS
Fellow
International Commission on Occupational Health - ICOH
Member
European Respiratory Society - ERS
Member and Secretary (2023-2026) Assembly on Environment and Epidemiology