“Connecting diverse areas of expertise, strengthening local capacity, and ensuring equity are essential for global progress on exposome research,” says Rafael Buralli, Professor at the Department of Policy, Management and Health at the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo and IHEN exposome ambassador, “I hope to help bridge exposome data, actions, and policies across Latin America to protect people and make this vision a reality.”
After taking part in the first edition of the IHEN training school held in October 2025 in Barcelona, he is planning two training initiatives to expand exposome education and awareness in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
- A free, virtual introductory course, organised in partnership with the LAC chapter of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE-LAC) and Diana Marin Pineda (Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia), to promote dialogue on methods and challenges in the region, and reflect on how they can use exposome science to advance health promotion and public policy
- A hybrid event Exposome meets Public Health at the University of São Paulo to explore how exposome research can strengthen surveillance systems, preventive interventions, and policy design — helping shift from discovery-based research to concrete action that protects health and reduces inequalities
Rafael chose to focus on the exposome as a research field because it challenges the idea that our health or disease can be explained by one single factor at a time.
“The exposome pushes me to see beyond my own beliefs and experiences, to recognise how social, environmental, and structural conditions interact in people’s daily lives,” he explains, “For me, working on the exposome is a way to turn curiosity into action, and research into real change.”
Highlights from exposome research in LAC
In Latin America, there is a stronger focus on the external exposome due to their limited laboratory capacity for exposomics, demographic and cultural diversity, and the multiple environmental hazards they face daily — all of which visibly shape population health, according to Rafael.
He highlights one recent study in particular from the Latin American Brain Health Institute Creative Experiences and Brain Clocks, which shows how creative engagement — through music, dance, painting, or even gaming — can delay brain aging. “This study connects creativity and innovation to high-impact science conducted in the LAC region, revealing how the external exposome influences brain plasticity and resilience,” Rafael explains.
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 to Rafael Buralli directly.
