Health in Our Environment
How surroundings shape disease, survival, and wellbeing
This journey emerged from 47 new research articles across Medicine, Interdisciplinary and Biology.
This topic surfaced automatically because research activity spiked across multiple disciplines this month.
Our health is profoundly shaped by the environments we inhabit—from extreme weather events to infectious disease outbreaks. Scientists study patterns of illness and death across populations to understand how environmental, social, and biological factors interact to determine who gets sick and why. This emerging field connects climate change, urban living conditions, and public health interventions in surprising ways.
As climate change intensifies heat waves and alters disease patterns, understanding these connections has become urgent for protecting vulnerable populations. Recent research reveals that nighttime heat affects asthma, chronic conditions worsen during extreme weather, and emerging infections like Ebola continue to threaten communities—making environmental health literacy essential for everyone.
The learning journey
Public health
The fundamental science of protecting population health
Epidemiology
How we track and understand disease patterns
Mortality
Measuring death rates reveals health impacts
Heat wave
Environmental extremes as health threats
Chronic kidney disease
Long-term conditions worsened by environment
Ebola
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks and control
Current research
See the latest discoveries driving this topic below.
Foundational explainers
What Do We Know About Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Epidemiology? A Science-Based Overview
What Do We Know About Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Epidemiology? A Science-Based Overview Every year, infec…
Read →What Do We Know About Environmental and Chemical Exposures in Health? A Science-Based Overview
What Do We Know About Environmental and Chemical Exposures in Health? A Science-Based Overview Every day, witho…
Read →What Is Viruses and Disease — And Why Does It Matter?
What Is Viruses and Disease — And Why Does It Matter? Every second, roughly 40 million virus particles infect…
Read →How Disease Prevention and Treatment Connects Multiple Sciences
Summary: Disease prevention and treatment require collaboration across multiple scientific disciplines including molecul…
Read →Research timeline in this topic
Open questions
Science still doesn't fully know:
- How do compounding environmental stressors like heat and air pollution interact to amplify health risks in urban populations?
- Why do some individuals develop chronic diseases in response to environmental exposures while genetically similar people remain healthy?
- What early warning systems could predict cascading health crises from climate events before they overwhelm healthcare infrastructure?
Continue exploring