Under embargo until 10:00 AM EST May 12, 2025
Who? 500+ public health researchers, thought-leaders, policy-makers & civil society actors.
What? Inaugural Exposome Moonshot Forum.
Where? Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, Washington D.C.
When? Monday May 12 th to Thursday May 15 th , 2025: www.exposomemoonshot.org
Background : The Human Genome Project , initiated in 1990 and completed in 2003, was a global scientific effort to map and sequence all genetic material, the information needed to code life. With that code was a promise to understand the genetic roots of disease and health. Funded by the US federal institutes, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, and international partners at a cost of $3 billion, it remains one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements, revolutionizing our understanding of genetics and driving medical and biotechnological advances.
Today’s challenge : The Human Genome Project transformed genetic discovery, but it only tells a small part of the story. What are the environmental factors that underpin disease and health? That’s where the Exposome comes in. From fighting childhood autism or asthma, to treating cognitive decline in our elderly, addressing the environmental and lifestyle factors affecting cancer, building supportive healthy living environments, and better regulating of environmental and psychosocial stressors such as atmospheric pollution, pesticides or food colorants and even social isolation. Better understanding these exposures is where today’s research efforts must lie. That said, science has been slow to take on this new collaborative challenge of mapping how our environments shape our all-round health from conception to death, until now.
The Human Exposome marks an unprecedented change in how the world views both understanding what can harm us and fighting disease. It aims to match the Human Genome Project in its scope and ambition. The Human Exposome can provide usable metrics and data points to inform targeted public health interventions while still being in the early stages of development and planning. This has been made possible by the integration of technologies like advanced sensors, high-resolution mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, bioinformatics, expanding datasets on environmental stressors obtained through geospatial applications, and enhanced understanding of social determinants of health. All this combined with recent advances in artificial intelligence and big data analytics, is making such a discovery-driven initiative feasible and actionable, even as the initiative develops. Furthermore, this Moonshot is timed to integrate and complement ongoing research projects worldwide. From a recent Department of Defense report calling for the US to be more exposome-driven, the EU’s clean industrial deal, European Climate Adaptation Plan, One Health Strategy, or Cancer Mission initiatives along with increasing public awareness and academic interest, it is clear that research efforts, funding and policy-making are all pointing in the same direction: we need to chart the exposome.
The Exposome Moonshot Forum, May 12-15: Liftoff to the Next Phase. The inaugural Washington D.C. event will culminate in a Declaration Ceremony , signaling a commitment to global collaboration, innovation and inclusion in shaping the future of exposomic science as a new field. This is a critical first step in establishing shared responsibility in meeting the goals identified and strategy outlined during the intensive four-day event.
This multi-day, onsite gathering with further inputs from select speakers given remotely, is purposely intended as an open platform for discussion towards the agreement of a next-steps roadmap. To encourage new-thinking and impact-orientated suggestions, delegates will be asked to actively respond to fixed thematic panels and contribute to breakout sessions designed around four core objectives:
The Organizing Committee is actively fielding interest from individuals and organizations to join newly established global working groups. Their task will be to create a viable framework for the Exposome Moonshot to categorize, document and chart all of our biological and chemical exposures.
Hearing from Experts and Participants :
Definition: Exposome is the integrated compilation of all physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial
influences that impact the body.
Further Media Briefing Information
Even though the Exposome Moonshot Forum is full and closed for general registration, the organizers are keen to involve reporters and public information officers in the discussions. Science communication is an integral part of the project’s success.
If you would like to pre-register to attend the full conference; would like to drop-in any day; attend the technical press briefing on Thursday 15 th May (details below); or if you have any follow-up questions or requests for specific comments or interviews , please contact:
Eliza Cole: ecole28@jh.edu
A technical media briefing will be held live and online at 12 PM EST Thursday, May 15 th , 2025.
Please register in advance to join the virtual briefing: https://jh.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h2Sn41zkR1CtZP0CtQRoiA
Useful Links:
To learn more about the Exposome Moonshot Forum and the Human Exposome Project, visit https://exposomemoonshot.org