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Environmental Health Research
Environmental health research is expanding fast, focusing on everything from indoor air quality and building science to the emerging field of exposomics, which looks at how cumulative environmental exposures shape health over a lifetime. Many of these institutions host free public lectures and webinars covering topics like endocrine disrupting chemicals, PFAS, and air pollution, making current research accessible without needing an academic background. Some programs also produce practical tools alongside their research, such as air purifier sizing calculators or checklists for reducing everyday exposures at home. If you want to learn about the underlying science of why certain materials or exposures matter, or if you're interested in participating in environmental health research, attending online lectures, this is a short list of where to start.
By Dr. Meg Christensen | Physician-founder of Interior Medicine, a non-toxic home resource built on her background in medicine, biochemistry, epidemiology, and clinical research.
Updated February 1, 2026
Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health has an entire department devoted to studying indoor air quality and healthier building materials. They have a great resources and update regularly including a checklist for implementing free healthy home basic practices, air purifier sizing guides, and interesting articles.
University of Oregon’s Institute for Health in the Built Environment
If only this program had existed when I was a research intern at the University of Oregon in 2006! Life would have been different. This department is focused on the indoor microbiome, air quality, thermal comfort, and how these spaces affect our psychology and physiology.
Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research
Exposomics is the study of how environmental exposures shape an individual, and Mount Sinai has great virtual lectures you can attend for free every few weeks about how microplastics, chemical exposures, air pollution, and so much more, affect our health.
Collaborative for Health & Environment (CHE)
The CHE focuses on how environmental risks harm human health and offer free, regular webinars about endocrine disrupting chemicals, PFAS, plastics, disease prevention, and so much more.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Part of our NIH, the NIEHS researches how the environment impacts our health and has helpful guides on everything from dioxins, EMFs, BPA, essential oils, styrene, cell phone radiation, nanomaterials, to weather extremes and more.
The New School’s Parsons Healthy Materials Lab
Aside from their very helpful database which I have listed on my Healthier Building Materials page, Parsons also hosts virtual and in-person events related to choosing healthier architecture and design materials.
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