About Us

The Center for Environmental Medicine is primarily housed within the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. CEM actively seeks partners from within and outside of the University, both public and private, for collaboration in research, education and outreach programs in environmental medicine.

Our Story

The history of the Center for Environmental Medicine is closely tied to the history of the Toxicology Section in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences. Before 2001, the Department of Environmental Health existed as a standalone department with three foundational pillars – epidemiology, industrial hygiene and toxicology. The Toxicology Section was a University Program of Research and Scholarly Excellence, enjoyed a National Institutes of Health training grant, and also had Superfund research contracts supporting a large and robust research program.

A College-wide reorganization brought Environmental Health and Radiological Health Sciences together in one department. At the same time, funding sources for the Toxicology Section began to diminish due in large part to a shift in federal priorities and cutbacks on research funding at the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

In 2005, the Toxicology Section faculty members elected Dr. William Hanneman as Section Head and began the process of rebuilding their program from the ground up. The three missions of the University became truly engrained as the three missions of the Toxicology Section – research, teaching and outreach. Faculty members first modernized the curriculum to reflect current trends and new technologies in toxicology. New courses were created to meet the goals of a curriculum that would address the toxicology concerns of today while preparing students for the challenges of tomorrow.

International partnerships began to take root and develop as well, particularly with work in Japan. New research programs were funded as environmental concerns began to take center stage in the national theater. In 2008, Colorado State University announced the creation of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability and the seed of the Center for Environmental Medicine now had a place to fully grow. With administrative support from both the University and College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in 2008 the Center for Environmental Medicine was established with Dr. William Hanneman as Director. CEM now extends beyond the Toxicology Section to embrace research, teaching and outreach partners from a cross-section of programs and departments. It provides a place where multi-partner projects can take root and grow, helping to eliminate barriers that often lie in the path of vigorous and productive collaboration.

November 15-22, 2008, representatives of the Center for Environmental Medicine, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University and the State of Colorado, including Gov. Bill Ritter, traveled to Japan to sign Memorandums of Understanding to formalize research, education and outreach partnerships.

In The News

News about the Center for Environmental Medicine, the School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University and other environmental health topics.

Press Releases

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
CSU, JAPANESE TO RESEARCH IMPORTED FOOD & PRODUCTS - CBS4 News Denver
Colorado State University is joining hands with Japanese researchers to make sure food and products imported from other countries are safe.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE CENTER CREATED BY CSU - Loveland Reporter-Herald
Colorado State University announced Monday its plans to do just that. The university is forming an international environmental medicine center, which will be launched during Gov. Bill Ritter's trade mission to Asia next week.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES NEW SCHOOL OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Colorado State University on Tuesday unveiled plans for the state's first School of Global Environmental Sustainability to streamline the university's internationally recognized environmental research and to prepare students for the growing "green" workforce.

Press Links