Founded in 2012 by industrial-organizational psychologist Cristina Banks, Berkeley’s Interdisciplinary Center for Healthy Workplaces serves as a hub for research and dialogue centered on improving the well-being and health of employees in their respective workplaces.

The center brings together scholars from related fields—including public health, public policy, environmental design, architecture, engineering, computer science, nutrition, law, and economics—to find solutions to improve workplace environments. ICHW also works with outside experts, including clinicians, agency directors, consultants, and corporate executives. During its first two years, the Center has coordinated a series of meetings and advanced research into diverse topics, including the working conditions for blue-collar workers and the impacts of “open” office design.