Environmental Health
Our environment—the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, where we work, and the places we live—shapes every aspect of our health. Around the world, environmental exposures are leading contributors to disease and poor health outcomes across the lifespan. While everyone is affected, the burden of environmental hazards often impacts those with fewer resources the most, resulting in health disparities that can span generations.
For decades, the Department of Environmental Health has led policy-relevant research, working in partnership with communities most impacted by environmental hazards. Our students gain the skills necessary to tackle pressing environmental challenges through rigorous training in epidemiology, exposure science, toxicology, and risk assessment, as well as foundational grounding in the legal and economic dimensions of environmental health policy.
We examine the health impacts of heat and air pollution in schools, at work, and in homes. Through the BUSPH Center for Climate & Health, our faculty leverages data resources for advanced analyses of the health impacts of extreme weather. We evaluate how complex mixtures of chemicals interact to impact health, including contamination of water, food, soil, and consumer products. We also study the effects of non-chemical hazards such as noise, heat, and social stressors, and explore how these exposures interact to shape disease risk across the lifecourse. Our work often focuses on individuals most at risk, including children, people living in poverty, and military personnel, and we work both in the US and around the world. Throughout our research and academic programs, we are committed to promoting environmental justice, partnering with communities, and translating evidence into policy to improve health.
Academic Programs
The Department of Environmental Health faculty and staff participate in interdisciplinary master’s and doctoral degrees. We lead the Environmental Health and Justice Functional Certificate and the Climate Change and Health Context Certificate within the Master of Public Health (MPH) and offer the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Health.
