FAQs

What is Environmental Medicine?

Environmental Medicine is a multidisciplinary field including environmental health, toxicology, epidemiology, chemistry, medicine, and others. Environmental Medicine involves the study of the interactions between the environment and human health, and the role of the environment in causing or mediating disease. A primary assumption of Environmental Medicine is that human health may be more widely and dramatically affected by environmental toxins than currently understood or recognized.

What types of environmental factors are studied in Environmental Medicine?

Environmental factors linked to disease are classified into four primary categories: physical, chemical, biological and social.

What types of problems do scientists in Environmental Medicine research?

Just as the world is diverse, so are the challenges facing researchers in Environmental Medicine. From the affects of air pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to the presence of melamine in baby formula, from contamination of drinking wells with industrial chemicals, to the accumulation of heavy metals in road runoff, environmental medicine covers wide-ranging human health concerns and how those concerns are impacted by the environment. Other common areas of research include mercury and lead poisoning, the effects of chemical contaminant exposures on cancer risk, biosensors for food safety, biosecurity including radiation exposure from dirty bombs, and much more.

How can I learn more about a career in Environmental Medicine?

Visit our Education Section to learn more about degree programs in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, and more about careers in Environmental Medicine. Read More

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If you would like to learn more about the Center for Environmental Medicine, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.