The Exposome Paradigm in Human Health: Lessons from the Emory Exposome Summer Course

Conclusions The exposome concept was introduced in 2005, yet it remains in a quasi-primordial state. The Emory Exposome Summer Course was established to help advance the development of the exposome. Environmental health sciences is filled with untapped potential for human health discovery, and the exposome captures the excitement, the potential, and the dynamic nature of the field. One important point that arose from the course is the need for academic researchers to include members of the community in exposome research. Participants discussed the need to promote citizen science, and the ethical considerations inherent in this endeavor, during an open discussion. For example, how can we engage with our communities to better understand the environmental health problems they face? Might improved exposure assessment lead to increased stigmatization of and discrimination toward at-risk communities (Coughlin and Dawson 2014)? Although not a focus of the course, these crucial questions are being discussed by other organizations, including the National Academies. Another salient point that emerged from this course is the complexity of exposome projects that require long-term effort and considerable resources. Discussion at this meeting concluded that “staging” of projects and programs is essential. Staging involves defining measurable, incremental outcomes to assure all stakeholders that progress is being made and that the project remains worthwhile. We must agree on exposome ...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Brief Communication Source Type: research