News, events, and information from the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health.
***Who are we***
Chemicals in household products. Air pollution. Pesticide exposures. New and reemerging infectious diseases related to climate change. Contemporary life exposes people around the world to a wide variety of environmental health risks every day. Environmental exposures are among the leading contributors to the global burden of disease, significantly influencing the health of vulnerable populations in the developed and developing world.
The Department of Environmental Health prepares students to meet these challenges through research, policy analysis, and community engagement. Students gain solid grounding in epidemiological and toxicological research to assess chemical, physical, biological, and social risk factors. Their education also includes training in legal and economic topics relevant to environmental and public health. There are multiple degree options, each leading to different outcomes. The MPH degree, for example, is a practice-based degree, while the MS provides students with a strong foundation in research skills. Additionally, many students engage in community-based research projects with faculty in and around Boston. Several studies involve collaboration with government agencies, other universities, or Boston Medical Center.
***Cutting-edge research projects and facilities***
As a major research university, there are many important faculty research projects at any given time. Current projects include studies of exposure to flame retardants, the effects of exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors on health in low-income communities, Gulf War Illness, and the BU Superfund Research Program. The Sherr and Schlezinger labs use state-of-the-art cellular and molecular technologies in exciting areas of basic and applied scientific research. The Exposure Biology Research Group performs in-depth field investigations of environmental and occupational exposures and uses biological markers to determine possible exposure-disease pathways.
***Degree Programs***
The department participates in our interdisciplinary school-wide degree programs. Degrees include:
•Master of Public Health (MPH)
•Master of Public Health (MPH) Dual Degree Programs
•Master of Science in Environmental Health
•Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Health
***MPH Certificates***
•Infectious Disease
•Environmental Hazard Assessment
