Meharry Public Health Exposome Project: Towards Eliminating Health Disparities

Most diseases have both genetic and environmental underlying causes. While research results arising from the Human Genome Project (HGP) have helped to increase our understanding about some of the underlying causes of disease, it also has reinforced findings that suggest non-genetic factors contribute about 90% of the risks of chronic disease. Understanding the contribution of environmental factors to disease susceptibility will require a more comprehensive view of exposure and biological response than has traditionally been applied. Our tools for examining the relationship between disease and environmental exposures remain woefully underdeveloped however.

At MMC we are working to develop a web-based, public health informatics infrastructure that promotes and supports research on the “exposome:” the environmental context of health disparities. To achieve this, we are working to expand our current research program by: (1) establishing a trans-disciplinary team to lead the effort; (2) securing and geocoding 30 years of health outcomes data in six areas of health disparities (cancer, cardio-metabolic disease (cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, and obesity), HIV/AIDS, Maternal & Child Health/Infant Mortality, Intentional and Unintentional Injury, and Substance Abuse/Mental Health) in eleven southeastern states; (3) incorporating data on the physical (soil, water, vegetation, heat, , toxins etc.) , built (zoning, land use, growth, preservation, and development) , and social (US Census, access to care, health professions shortage areas, etc. ) environments; (4) using high throughput, Bayesian, and spatial/temporal analyses to establish the relationships between health outcomes and environmental factors; and (5) using community engagement in research and public participatory geographic information systems (PPGIS) to develop a research agenda to translate, implement, and evaluate targeted public health interventions.