[english]

Peter Lercher, Ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr.med., MPH

 

Email:   Peter.Lercher@i-med.ac.at Telefon: +43 0512 9003 71253 Fax:      +43 0512 9003 73251

Prof Peter Lercher (Peter.Lercher@i-med.ac.at)

Department of Hygiene, Microbiology & Social Medicine, Division of Social Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI)

 

Dr Lercher has a background in general medicine, is a specialist in hygiene, social medicine and environmental health, and holds a MPH in Epidemiology from Chapel Hill, NC (1990). Since 1999 he works as Associate Professor for Social Medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

Dr Lercher serves in the editorial board of Noise & Health and is a regular reviewer for several environmental health journals (JASA, Atmospheric Environment, Acta Acoustica, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Environment International, J Environ Psychology, Int J Hygiene and Environmental Health).

Dr Lercher served as chair/co-cahir (1993-1998;1998-2003) of Team 3 (non‑auditory physiological effects induced by noise) for the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) and between 2003 and 2008 he was appointed Co-Chair of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN).

He participated in EU-projects such as COST (air pollution, 1994-95) and PAN - EEC Concerted Action on Protection against Noise (1998-2000) and NOPHER - Noise Pollution Health Effects Reduction (2000-2003).

Between 1998-2006, he acted as primary investigator in several multi-method studies within the framework of EHIAs, where the integrated assessment (noise, air pollution, quality of life, health) of a new rail track in two alpine valleys (“Unterinntaltrasse” and “Brenner Basetunnel”) on health and life quality was the main research aim. Between 2005 and 2008 Dr Lercher worked as temporary advisor for the WHO in the EU-funded night-time noise guideline project and the aircraft noise assessment project.

Recently, he completed the multinational ALPNAP-project (2005-2007), lead by DLR, which aimed at better predictions of noise and air pollution exposure and health effects due to transportation in alpine areas.

Over the past 2 years he served as Section editor “Noise & Health” for the Encyclopedia of Environmental Health to be published by Elsevier in 2010.

Currently, Dr Lercher is engaged as working group chair in the COST action TD 0804 “Soundscape of European Cities and Landscapes” and as special adviser in the EU-project ENNAH (European Network on Noise and Health).

 

Selected articles

De Coensel B, Botteldooren D, De Muer T, Berglund B, Nilsson ME, Lercher P. A model for the perception of environmental sound based on notice-events. J Acoust Soc Am 2009, 126 (2):656-665.

Brink M, Lercher P, Eisenmann A, Schierz Christoph. Influence of slope of rise and event order of aircraft noise events on high resolution actimetry parameters. Somnologie 2008, 12:118–128.

Rüdisser J, Lercher P, A Heller. Traffic exposure and medication - a GIS based study on prescription of medicines in the Tyrolean Wipptal. Italian Journal of Public Health 2008, 5(4): 261-267.

Van Renterghem T, Botteldooren D, Lercher P. Comparison of measurements and predictions of sound propagation in a valley-slope configuration in an inhomogeneous atmosphere. J Acoust Soc Am 2007; 121:2522-2533.

Botteldooren D, Lercher P. Soft-computing base analyses of the relationship between annoyance and coping with noise and odor. J Acoust Soc Am 2004; 115(6): 2974-2985.

Lercher P, Evans GW, Meis M. Ambient noise and cognitive processes among primary school children. Environment and Behaviour, 2003, 35: 725-735.

Lercher P. Which health outcomes should be measured in health related environmental quality of life studies? Landscape and Urban Planning 2003; 65:63-72.

Lercher P, Evans GW, Meis M, Kofler WW. Ambient neighbourhood noise and children's mental health. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002; 59: 380-386.

Evans GW, Lercher P, Meis M, Ising H, Kofler W. Typical community noise exposure and stress in children. Journal of the American Acoustical Society 2001; 109(3): 1023-1027.

Stansfeld SA, Haines MM, Burr M, Berry B, Lercher P. A review of environmental noise and mental health. Noise & Health 2000; 8, 55-58.

 

Recent contributions to books

Lercher P. Environmental noise: A contextual public health perspective. In: L. Luxon & D. Prasher (eds) Noise and its effects: pp 345-377. London: Wiley, London 2007.

Heimann D., de Franceschi M., Emeis S., Lercher P., Seibert P. (Eds.), 2007: Air Pollution, Traffic Noise and Related Health Effects in the Alpine Space - A Guide for Authorities and Consulters. ALPNAP comprehensive report. Università degli Studi di Trento, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Trento, Italy, 335 pp.

Lercher P. Review: Noise and Vibrations and other Interactions with the Environment. In: S. Kephalopoulos (Organiser), D. Schwela, K. Koistinen, M. Paviotti, D. Kotzias (Eds), Proceedings of the International Workshop on "Combined Environmental Exposure: Noise, Air Pollution, Chemicals" organised by the JRC/IHC/PCE on 15-16 January 2007, Ispra (Italy). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, EUR 22883 EN, ISBN 978-92-79-06542-2, ISSN 1018-5593 (2007), pp 103-130.