Environmental and Occupational Health
Environmental and occupational health (EOH) science is a multifaceted field dedicated to understanding the environmental and occupational factors that adversely impact the health of communities and workers. In FHS, our approach to the field is aligned with the “cell to society” principle of our faculty: the integration of social and natural science research with population outcomes, societal application and policy analysis in local and international settings.
We are currently involved in the following broad areas of research:
- Evaluation of population-based interventions and policies
- Laboratory-based investigations into the molecular nature of environmental exposure and chronic disease
- Population and occupation-based observational epidemiology studies
- Shipbreakers in Bangladesh, photo credit: Midori Courtice
Major interests of existing EOH faculty include respiratory, immune, reproductive and cognitive/ behavioural development of foetuses and children and injury prevention and chronic disease surveillance in working populations. We have expertise in indoor and outdoor air pollutants, environmentally persistent organic pollutants, epigenetic and genetic impacts of toxicants, low-level exposures to endocrine disruptors from consumer products, neurotoxicology and chemical and injury hazards in occupational settings.
Our laboratory research involves both experimental research in model systems and organisms as well as development and utilization of molecular measures (biomarkers) in humans. Our objective is to integrate biomarkers into a conceptual research framework that encompasses a multi-generational life course perspective and looks at both individuals and societies for the determinants of human health and disease.
