Academic Research

Context

There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the recreational and occupational use of the environment can improve health and wellbeing, yet our relationship with this natural resource is far from straight forward. The environment is under increasing pressure as a resource for industry, it can pose threats to our health, and social inequalities mean that many people do not have access to its benefits.

Research

As part of the University of Exeter Medical School's research, the Centre is focusing on these complex interconnections. The environment, our impact upon it and in turn its influence upon us, are all closely intertwined and it is these relationships that are at the heart of the Centre’s research programme.

We are working closely with Cornish businesses to develop collaborative research, making our studies relevant and beneficial to local enterprise. Our aim is to produce world leading research that will contribute to the economy of Cornwall and impact policy at a national and international level.

The Blue Gym project represents one of the Centre's exciting research initiatives, find out more here.

Team

Our academics specialise in a number of disciplines from Epidemiology and GIS to Health Economics and Horizon Scanning, and these methods are used across each of our core research themes to provide a truly interdisciplinary environment. As well as a team of over 30 researchers, the Centre hosts 17 PhD students and a cohort of Masters students, all focusing on the field of environment and human health.

Find out more about research areas and skill sets by using the tool below.

KEY RESEARCH AREAS
KEY SKILLS

Active Ageing

Active and healthy ageing is supported by continued participation in social, economic, cultural and community activities. Our research advances knowledge in this area by investigating where and how physical, social and psychological wellbeing can be realised by people as they grow older. As part of our work we are exploring the significance of physical activity for people's expectations and experiences of the ageing process; and understanding the role of the natural environment for supporting transitions into retirement.

Climate, Health & Wellbeing

Whenever we consider environmental threats to human health, we do so knowing that superimposed on these threats, are additional impacts due to changing climates and weather patterns. Part of the Centre’s research is considering climate-ocean-human health interactions, and the maritime nature of the southwest peninsula provides the perfect opportunity for these investigations.

Emerging Pollution Risk

The Centre’s research into the chemical pollution of the environment considers traditional contaminants such as pesticides, as well as more novel contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The emergence of these substances in the environment has already been responsible for the decimation of Indian vulture populations, and been attributed to cases of fish feminisation. As global population rises and becomes increasingly aged, the presence of an ever-changing cocktail of pharmaceuticals in the environment will require a dynamic research response, making this a crucial focus of our work.

Healthy Workplaces

Using natural environments in workplace health and wellbeing programmes (conservation volunteering for example) provides impacts that can be measured in terms of increased productivity and business efficiency as well as improved workforce, community and environmental health. A number of Cornish businesses and organisations are at the leading edge of developing these programmes. The Centre is working with these and national governmental organisations to develop evidence-based programmes, and to support training and teaching to disseminate knowledge and best practice within and beyond Cornwall.

Oceans & Human Health

The Centre's research in this area examines the interconnections and interplay between the oceans and human health. It is a new interdisciplinary area of exploration and training, that includes assessing both the risks and benefits of the oceans. Our consideration of risk covers a wide area, from the impact of hurricanes and climate change to harmful algal blooms and microbial pollution. Research into the benefits of the ocean intertwines closely with our work in the area of wellbeing and includes the Blue Gym project which aims to use the coastal environment to improve our physical and mental health. Other positive foci include assessing our cultural and historical relationships with the seas, the healthy nutrition of seafood and discovery of marine drugs.

Wellbeing & the Natural Environment

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests use of and exposure to natural environments can have a range of benefits for people’s mental and physical health. Researchers at the Centre are exploring these issues in greater depth from a number of disciplinary perspectives that include public health, planning, environmental psychology and geography. Work in this area uses a range of research methodologies from controlled experiments and field studies to public surveys and epidemiological data, to answer a range of questions, for example:

Are all natural environments equal
What role does biodiversity play?
What are the potential benefits for children and older people?

Environmental and Public Health Economics

Values of the environment and health impacts of pollution are increasingly being used in “getting the prices right” by business, government and the European Commission. Valuation methods from the field of economics are applied in arriving at values in money terms – and these can then be included in decision making tools such as cost-benefit analysis. Research at the Centre attempts to extend this application by valuing both positive and negative impacts of the environment. Our on-going research includes the valuation of ecosystem services in the Isles of Scilly, valuation of atmospheric services in the UK and valuing the impact of climate change.

Epidemiology

Research on the effects of the environment on disease and wellbeing in populations is a key tool to understanding how we can gain benefits (and avoid negative effects) from exposure to environmental factors. By examining trends in a cross-section of a community, we can tease out subtle health effects that are not visible at a smaller scale. Our epidemiological research includes assessing the health outcomes from chronic low level exposure to man-made chemicals, exposure to naturally occurring chemical such as radon gas and algal toxins, and the effects of chronic weather or climatic events.

Geographic Information Systems

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) help us to visualise and analyse geographically referenced data over a range of scales, from the very small to the very large. We use GIS to map exposures to environmental conditions (the distance from a home to the nearest green space or pollution source, for example) and combine this with other population characteristics to tease out relationships between health and the environment. Our studies use data that may come from large national and international surveys, or involve using data gathered from individuals using GPS and other data logging devices.

Horizon Scanning

The formal definition for the term Horizon Scanning describes the systematic search for emerging issues and opportunities that might affect the probability of achieving management goals and objectives. Put more simply, one of the core goals of horizon scanning is to anticipate issues - accumulating data and knowledge about them that will allow us to make decisions to manage their development. At the European Centre we are using horizon scanning to identify developing areas that link with our research agenda, helping us to make informed choices about new areas that need investigation. For example, by using computer programmes to analyse new trends on the internet that link with the environment and health, we are being alerted to issues that are only now materialising.

Mircrobiology

Researchers at the Centre are investigating the relationships between humans and the microorganisms that survive and thrive in the human body. We are considering both the agents that can cause disease, and organisms that form an essential part of healthy immunity and digestion. We are also investigating the impact that microorganisms in the environment can have on human health.

Novel Communication Techniques

Researchers at the Centre produce a continual stream of new data that must be manipulated and translated in order to uncover relationships. Use of information graphics and visualisation can transform this data into a much more useful thing: information. Visual presentation is used across the research themes of the Centre, firstly for identifying trends and patterns in data, and secondly for presenting this information to the public and decision-makers. We focus on the use of info-graphics to explain the effects of climate change on health, as well as creating visuals that present complex numerical data.

Policy Analysis

The Centre is involved in policy research in the areas linking the environment and human health. A key area of expertise is policy research on adaptation to climate change from a health perspective. A broad approach is taken to include all relevant policy areas even where at first glance they might appear of limited relevance. Choices made in different policy areas will often have indirect and contradictory effects on human health and wellbeing. A key aim of our policy research is to identify and minimise or remove contradictions between policies with the ultimate aim of facilitating efficient adaptation to climate change and maximising health and wellbeing outcomes.

Qualitative Research Methods

Part of the Centre’s research programme explores how and why people give meaning to their experiences in the ways that they do, and what the social influences are that inform this process. To capture this information we use a host of qualitative research methods. These methods enable us to focus on the way people interpret and make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live. They involve ‘being’ with the person and the data that is collected tends to be non-numerical symbols, such as words and pictures. We’re applying these methods to find out how we can create the conditions for employees to engage in healthy workplace programmes, to learn more about how active ageing is perceived and experienced across the life course; and to gain an insight into older people's experiences of a changing climate.

Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis

Conducting a systematic review allows a research group to identify all evidence that exists about a particular research question. This evidence is then synthesised using a range of techniques to help identify, amongst other factors, gaps and limitations in current knowledge. This approach is important because it minimises bias in, and maximizes transparency about, the identification, selection and analysis of research evidence. The review may be used to help define a research question (targeting areas that have not yet been explored) or to collate and re-analyse conclusions from other studies. Systematic reviews and evidence synthesis are applied across the full range of research themes and studies at the Centre.