Our health is shaped by environmental factors that we humans are exposed to on a daily basis: what we eat, the air we breathe, our social interactions and lifestyle choices such as smoking and exercising. The sum of all these environmental drivers of health and diseases is called the exposome.
The exposome concept is trying to capture everything to understand which, how, in what quantities, and in what circumstances environmental drivers have an effect on our health. This very complex set of elements is continually evolving, and to map it is a challenging undertaking. The Utrecht Exposome hub combines research on both the external exposome and on the internal exposome (focusing on the microbiome). By combining this research, we aim to develop successful prevention and intervention strategies in amongst others cardiovascular, mental, infectious, and immunological diseases.
Highlights
Horizon Europe grant for research into better, personalised treatment for high blood pressureAn international research team has received a ten million euro grant from Horizon Europe and UK Research and Innovation. The HYPERMARKER team will develop and test tools supported by artificial intelligence that allow clinicians to select the best treatment for each individual patient with high blood pressure. The consortium consists of 12 partners, including world leaders in health data science, patient advocacy and industry, such as Utrecht professors Rick Grobbee (coordinator) and Roel Vermeulen.
- Where the microbiome meets exposure science to advance human health.
Research into the impact of microplastics on women's healthHow many microplastics do you ingest every day? You do not only breathe them, but they also enter your body in large quantities through food, drinks and cosmetics, among other things. It is still unknown how harmful microplastics are. The fact that they are present in your body and even end up in the placenta and amniotic fluid of pregnant women is cause for concern, according to researchers. Together with 100 women from the Utrecht region, aged 18-45, researchers from UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University will map how many microplastics are present in their bodies and what the impact of external factors is.
Our partners
Exposome-NL
The Dutch consortium of internationally-renowned scientists will apply innovative techniques to investigate which factors of the exposome are important for health and how these factors work. Their research focuses on the causes of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
EXPANSE project
EXPANSE is a five-year European research project that focuses on the urban exposome, the complex interplay between the built, social, physico-chemical, food, and lifestyle aspects of the urban environment. EXPANSE involves 20 academic and non-academic partners located in 14 European countries and the USA.
Exposome-Scan
The Exposome-Scan project has been awarded 3.2 million euros from the NWO Investment Grant Large programme, With the grant, researchers from various Dutch institutes and medical centres will build a unique and large-scale open facility for research into the so-called exposome.
Data- en Kennishub Gezond Stedelijk Leven
Together with residents, the partners of the hub will develop scientific and data-driven concepts and measures: evidence-based products and services that have a positive effect on the health of everyone who lives, works or recreates in an urban environment.
