Dr. Samuel Milham
Pioneer in Occupational Epidemiology and Electromagnetic Health
Dr. Samuel Milham, MD, MPH, is a distinguished physician-epidemiologist whose groundbreaking research first alerted the scientific community and the world to the link between electromagnetic fields (EMF) and human disease. Over a prolific career spanning several decades, Dr. Milham has been a leading voice in public health, uncovering hidden environmental and occupational hazards.
Medical and Epidemiological Training
Dr. Milham’s foundational education set the stage for his rigorous analytical approach to public health. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Union College in New York, followed by his Medical Degree (M.D.) from Albany Medical College in 1958, where he was a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
After completing his internship at the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Boston and a residency in public health in Rochester, New York, he pursued advanced training at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, earning his Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in 1961.
Career in Public Health and Occupational Disease
Dr. Milham spent the majority of his career as the Chronic Disease Epidemiologist for the Washington State Department of Health, a role he held from 1968 to 1988. During this time, he also served as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health.
He was a pioneer in utilizing the proportionate mortality ratio to study patterns of occupational illness. By meticulously analyzing thousands of death certificates, Dr. Milham documented severe occupational hazards that had previously gone unnoticed. His work identified the risks of nasal cancer in woodworkers, lymphoma in forestry workers, and, most notably, the elevated rates of leukemia in workers exposed to electromagnetic fields.
More From Dr. Milham
Visit SamMilham.com to read his full bio, access his publications, and check out his book Dirty Electricity.
Uncovering the Dangers of Dirty Electricity
Dr. Milham is perhaps best known for his extensive research into the health impacts of electrification. He was the first scientist to report a definitive link between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and increased rates of cancer and other diseases.
His research expanded beyond occupational hazards to examine the broader societal impacts of what is known as “dirty electricity”—high-frequency voltage transients riding along standard electrical wiring. Dr. Milham’s key findings include:
The “Diseases of Civilization”: Through historical epidemiological analysis, Dr. Milham demonstrated that the spread of residential electrification in the early 20th century closely correlated with the emergence of modern diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and suicide.
The La Quinta Middle School Study: In 2008, Dr. Milham published a landmark study investigating a cancer cluster among teachers at a middle school in California. His research strongly associated the unusually high cancer incidence with exposure to high-frequency voltage transients (dirty electricity) in the classrooms.
Childhood Leukemia: He proposed and provided historical evidence for the hypothesis that the causal agent for the mid-20th-century peak in childhood leukemia was the introduction of residential electromagnetic fields.
Authorship and Global Recognition
Dr. Milham has authored over one hundred peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is also the author of the widely acclaimed book, Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization, in which he chronicles his discovery of the health risks associated with EMFs and warns of the looming public health crisis posed by the proliferation of wireless technologies and electronic equipment.
His contributions to public health have earned him significant international recognition. In 1997, he was awarded the prestigious Ramazzini Award by the Collegium Ramazzini for his “outstanding contribution to the epidemiology of occupational disease, with particular reference to carcinogenic risk.” The award citation noted that his research “has pointed the way to prevention and has saved the lives of thousands.”