A sweeping global effort to map the environmental roots of disease could reshape the future of health and medicine.
A major scientific session moderated by the Financial Times, titled “How the human exposome will unlock better health and medicine,” will bring together three leaders of the Global Exposome Forum from the United States and Europe. They will update members of the international research community on the progress achieved since the Forum’s launch in Washington D.C. in May, 2025.
The event gives AAAS delegates a chance to explore what many researchers view as one of today’s most important public health opportunities: understanding the human exposome. Speakers will focus on three main areas. They will discuss the vast potential of exposomics research, outline a plan for building a truly global network, and describe strategies to address the scientific and policy challenges ahead.
Prof. Thomas Hartung of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, is organizing the session. He emphasized the ambition behind the effort, stating, “We are here to make waves, not ripples. Our Committee Members have been putting in the hard yards over these past nine months, and the surge in interest leading to concrete set-up events and firm commitments is tremendous to see. We have much positive news in the pipeline, and during our panel discussion, we’ll announce three examples representing buy-in with national governments, global scientific institutions, and large membership-led organizations.”
The panel will be held in room West 105 of the Phoenix Convention Center from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST Saturday, February 14th, 2026. It is open to credentialed members of the press attending the AAAS Annual Meeting. Reporters and attendees interested in large-scale public health initiatives and international grassroots collaboration are encouraged to attend and hear directly from leaders in this fast-moving field.
The Human Exposome Project and Disease Risk
The Human Exposome Project is designed to rival the Human Genome Project in scale and ambition. While the Human Genome Project transformed genetics, it addressed only part of what drives disease. Genes are estimated to account for just 10-20% of disease risk. In contrast, biological, chemical, and environmental exposures may contribute to at least 80%.
For years, the scientific community was slow to organize around this broader challenge. That is now changing. Newly formed regional chapters and working groups are expanding exposomics research by combining A.I., advanced sensors, metabolomics, and large-scale data analytics. These groups are recruiting partners and working to translate scientific findings into policies that can benefit entire populations.
The initiative is structured to align with ongoing global research efforts while continuing to grow in real time and generate interim gains. Organizers recognize that effectively integrating complex scientific evidence into policymaking, especially in areas involving emerging and debated technologies, is essential for long-term success. A bottom-up model that engages both citizens and elected officials serves as the foundation. Supporters argue that whether addressing childhood autism and asthma, treating cognitive decline in older adults, or regulating microplastics, pesticides, and food colorants, research must focus on how combined exposures influence human health.
South Africa and a Pan-African Exposome Network
On December 1st, 2025, in Pretoria, the South African government used its Science Forum South Africa and the World Conference of Science Journalists, hosted by the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA), to advance exposome collaboration. National and pan-African experts met to assess the capacity to establish a continent-wide exposome network. Senior government and cabinet-level officials from the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI) were also briefed. South Africa had previously participated at Deputy Director-General level in the May 2025, Washington D.C. launch of the Human Exposome Project.
One immediate outcome was an agreement for pan-African experts to directly join Global Exposome Forum working groups and attend thematic meetings around the world. Improving coordination of health data reporting systems was identified as an urgent priority. A second workshop is scheduled for early December 2026, one year after the initial meeting. In the meantime, the SDCfA has expressed its readiness to serve as the founding host of a pan-African exposome network.
Science Advice and Global Policy Partnerships
Prof. Rémi Quirion, President of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA), has strongly supported exposomics research and the expanding global consortium behind it. INGSA organized a policy focused panel during the May 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C. Participants included chief scientists and leaders from UNESCO, WHO, and the African Academy of Sciences.
Since then, INGSA has continued informal discussions with the Global Exposome Forum and provided guidance on how ‘exposomethics’ can be incorporated into policymaking. Another high-level panel is planned for April 29th, 2026, at the Global Exposome Summit in Sitges, Spain. INGSA has also agreed to formal collaboration with GEF across its 10,000-member network and continental chapters, helping determine how and when Forum leadership should engage with science advisory systems worldwide.
On December 8th, 2025, the Global Exposome Forum also launched a working partnership with the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) and UNESCO. This collaboration includes a series of focused virtual town halls covering single-cell analysis, genomics, exposomics, and science policy. UNESCO, which participated at the senior level in the May 2025 Washington D.C. meeting, will host a follow-up meeting in Paris on March 3rd, 2026, at the Assistant Director-General level. That meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for signing a Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and the Global Exposome Forum.
Regional Expansion and Global Summit
Support for the initiative continues to grow. Regional chapters are being organized in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Southeast Asia. In Europe, the European Exposome Forum is preparing the Global Exposome Summit in Sitges, Spain from April 27-29, 2026. Registration numbers have already exceeded expectations, and the program is shaping up to feature leading voices in health-driven science and innovation, including experts in A.I., supercomputing, and forward-looking policymaking.
Working Groups and Digital Collaboration
A central pillar of the Forum’s strategy is the creation and integration of exposome-focused and subdomain working groups. These self-organized teams are charged with identifying and addressing some of the most urgent challenges in exposomics. Members from industry, government, academia, and civil society collaborate through a dedicated digital platform designed to support messaging, document sharing, and coordinated international work.
These working groups are a key component of the Global Exposome Forum’s international coalition. They reflect the project’s grassroots, member-led approach while enabling large-scale coordination across sectors and regions.
From Vision to Implementation
Together, these efforts represent a clear shift from planning to action. Through coordinated public and private partnerships, global collaboration, and shared research infrastructure, the Global Exposome Forum is advancing exposomics from a promising concept to a transformative force in public health and modern medicine.
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