Cathryn Tonne1, Xavier Basagaña2, Basile Chaix3, Maud Huynen4, Perry Hystad5, Tim S Nawrot6, Remy Slama7, Roel Vermeulen8, Jennifer Weuve9, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen2. 1. Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: Cathryn.tonne@isglobal.org. 2. Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain. 3. Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université, Nemesis research team, Paris 06, France; INSERM, UMR_S 1136, Nemesis research team, France. 4. ICIS, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands. 5. College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. 6. Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Centre for Environment & Health, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium. 7. Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Inserm, CNRS, Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, IAB Joint Research Center, Grenoble, France. 8. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK. 9. Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the next 25years, transformative changes, in particular the rapid pace of technological development and data availability, will require environmental epidemiologists to prioritize what should (rather than could) be done to most effectively improve population health. OBJECTIVES: In this essay, we map out key driving forces that will shape environmental epidemiology in the next 25years. We also identify how the field should adapt to best take advantage of coming opportunities and prepare for challenges. DISCUSSION: Future environmental epidemiologists will face a world shaped by longer lifespans but also larger burdens of chronic health conditions; shifting populations by region and into urban areas; and global environmental change. Rapidly evolving technologies, particularly in sensors and OMICs, will present opportunities for the field. How should it respond? We argue, the field best adapts to a changing world by focusing on healthy aging; evidence gaps, especially in susceptible populations and low-income countries; and by developing approaches to better handle complexity and more formalized analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental epidemiology informing disease prevention will continue to be valuable. However, the field must adapt to remain relevant. In particular, the field must ensure that public health importance drives research questions, while seizing the opportunities presented by new technologies. Environmental epidemiologists of the future will require different, refined skills to work effectively across disciplines, ask the right questions, and implement appropriate study designs in a data-rich world.
BACKGROUND: In the next 25years, transformative changes, in particular the rapid pace of technological development and data availability, will require environmental epidemiologists to prioritize what should (rather than could) be done to most effectively improve population health. OBJECTIVES: In this essay, we map out key driving forces that will shape environmental epidemiology in the next 25years. We also identify how the field should adapt to best take advantage of coming opportunities and prepare for challenges. DISCUSSION: Future environmental epidemiologists will face a world shaped by longer lifespans but also larger burdens of chronic health conditions; shifting populations by region and into urban areas; and global environmental change. Rapidly evolving technologies, particularly in sensors and OMICs, will present opportunities for the field. How should it respond? We argue, the field best adapts to a changing world by focusing on healthy aging; evidence gaps, especially in susceptible populations and low-income countries; and by developing approaches to better handle complexity and more formalized analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental epidemiology informing disease prevention will continue to be valuable. However, the field must adapt to remain relevant. In particular, the field must ensure that public health importance drives research questions, while seizing the opportunities presented by new technologies. Environmental epidemiologists of the future will require different, refined skills to work effectively across disciplines, ask the right questions, and implement appropriate study designs in a data-rich world.
Authors: Angela M Gutierrez; Erin Molly Frazar; Maria Victoria X Klaus; Pranto Paul; J Zach Hilt Journal: Adv Healthc Mater Date: 2021-12-11 Impact factor: 9.933
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