NEWS & EVENTS

Prof. dr. Roel Vermeulen has been appointed Distinguished University Professor at Utrecht University as of 15 July. His focus in this role will be on the theme of planetary and preventive health.

The International Human Exposome Network (IHEN) is bringing together researchers, policymakers, and independent experts to collaborate on and improve exposome research. This field explores how health is shaped by the combined impact of all the environmental factors people are exposed to throughout their lives.

On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, the British newspaper The Guardian published a study on air quality in Europe. Using visualizations based on models from the research team of Professor Roel Vermeulen, the newspaper shows that virtually everyone in Europe is breathing unhealthy air.

Countries of the WHO European Region have adopted the Budapest Declaration, which prioritizes urgent, wide-ranging action on health challenges related to climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss and land degradation, along with, and in the context of, recovery from COVID-19.

Around 140 attendees from the nine EHEN projects gathered to talk and exchange on everything exposome. Held in Leuven, Belgium and online from 30th May to 1st June, the  focus of the first two days was to share the progress and results of the projects’ research with members of the network.

Exposome research has emerged as a cutting-edge field for investigating human health and disease using big-data techniques, smart sensors, and multi-omics technologies. However, despite its potential benefits, the ethical considerations surrounding exposome research have not been widely discussed in the literature.

Our living environment affects our health. The place we live, what we eat, how much we exercise, the kind of work we do and the people we interact with – all these environmental factors play a role. But how important are they in terms of our health and how are they all connected?

Google donated two Project Air View cars to Utrecht University a year ago. With these ‘Air View’ cars, the quality of air in cities can be mapped down to street level. Jules Kerckhoffs of Utrecht University coordinates these projects and is responsible for processing the data. He talks about his experiences.