Environmental Impacts on Health and Disease

About

This summer school course will provide clear understanding of the different types of environmental exposures that are related with pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases. The first section will review the natural environment (land, water, air, energy) and its impact on health indicators as well as nutritional content of food and nutraceuticals. The second section will focus on the built environment (housing, urban vs. rural landscapes, transport, work) and the relation of our living conditions with health outcomes. The third section will review the effects of the psychosocial environment (mental health, stress, socialization, financial status) on the public health. The fourth section will expand on the microenvironment features (microbiome) and the epigenetic effects (gene-by-environment interactions) that modulate disease mechanisms. The final section of the course will focus on the combined and synergistic impact of all different types of the environment on health indicators. It will also showcase the added value of multidisciplinary approaches to evaluate the combined impact of environment on health and disease.

Course leader

Stavroula Kanoni

Target group

Undergraduates

Course aim

The course aims to provide an introduction in key areas of environment and health and enable students to understand the interplay of different environmental exposures with human health.

Fee info