Rick Neitzel is a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health whose research focuses on the characterization of exposures to noise, heavy metals and other ototoxins, psychosocial stressors, and injury risk factors, as well as a range of adverse health effects associated with these exposures. His work, and the work of his team in the UM Exposure Research lab, takes place in occupational and community settings both domestically and abroad. He is particularly interested in incorporating new methodologies and exposure sensing technologies into research, and also has a strong interest in translating his research findings into occupational and public health practice. He is the principal investigator of the ongoing nationwide Apple Hearing Study.

He is Associate Director of the UM Office of Global Public Health and is also Director of the UM Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering and the UM Industrial Hygiene program. Prior to his appointment to the faculty of the UM Department of Environmental Health Sciences, he worked as a Research Scientist in the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences from 1998-2011. He is a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and has been a Certified Industrial Hygienist since 2003.