“Research on the exposome has developed quite differently across Asian countries, and an integrated alliance like the one in Europe has yet to form. We aim to unite Asian scientists to promote progress and collaboration in exposome research across the region,” says Nan Lin, Assistant Professor at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, about her goals as an IHEN exposome ambassador.
After taking part in the first edition of the IHEN training school held in October 2025 in Barcelona, she plans to organise, several conferences and trainings across the region together with the other four ambassadors in Asia to achieve this ambition, including:
- A one-day pre-conference training course for students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists
- A symposium on Exposome Development in Asia at the 2026 ISEE-AWPC & ISES-AC Joint Conference
She also plans to adapt the IHEN exposome training for China’s national environmental health conferences and incorporate it into graduate-level courses at her university.
Nan chose to focus on exposome research because “the exposome reveals the true complexity and reality of human environmental exposure”.
During the IHEN training in October, she had the chance to rethink how she sees the exposome. “I learnt that applying this approach means moving away from testing specific theories to letting patterns emerge from the data itself,” she says, “This means applying the exposome lens doesn’t require new data, it’s about looking at what you already have in a different way.”
Highlights from exposome research in Asia
There is a growing number of researchers in Asia focusing on developing exposome-related techniques, including suspect and non-target analysis and advanced data analytics, according to Nan.
One example she highlights is an open-access platform for multi-omics data analysis, which provides valuable tools for the exposome community.
Our 22 exposome ambassadors were trained on the latest exposome tools and resources and will help build momentum for exposome research at their institutions. If you’re an environmental health or exposome researcher who is interested in collaborating on the initiatives described, you can reach out Nan Lin directly.
