A prominent scientific session moderated by the Financial Times, titled “How the human exposome will unlock better health and medicine,” will bring together three leaders of the Global Exposome Forum from the United States and Europe. They will update members of the international research community on the progress made since the initiative launched in Washington D.C. in May, 2025.
The discussion is designed to introduce AAAS attendees to what many consider one of the most significant public health opportunities of our time: understanding the human exposome. Panelists will focus on three core areas. These include the groundbreaking potential of exposomics research, a strategic plan for building a truly global network, and practical approaches to overcoming scientific and policy challenges ahead.
Panel organizer Prof. Thomas Hartung of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, emphasized the ambition behind the effort. “We are here to make waves, not ripples. Our Committee Members have been putting in the hard yards over these past nine-months and the surge in interest leading to concrete set-up events and firm commitments is tremendous to see. We have much positive news in the pipeline and during our panel discussion we’ll announce three examples representing buy-in with national governments, global scientific institutions and large membership-led organizations.”
The event will take place in room West 105 of the Phoenix Convention Center from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST Saturday, February 14th, 2026. It is open to credentialed members of the press attending the AAAS Annual Meeting. Journalists and researchers interested in major public health initiatives and international grassroots collaboration are encouraged to attend and hear directly from leaders in this rapidly advancing field.
The Human Exposome Project and the Future of Medicine
The Human Exposome Project is designed to rival, and potentially exceed, the ambition of the Human Genome Project. While the Human Genome Project transformed our understanding of genetics, it addressed only part of the disease equation. Genes are estimated to account for just 10-20% of disease risk. In contrast, biological, chemical, and environmental exposures may contribute to at least 80%.
Despite the scale of that impact, large coordinated efforts to study these exposures have been slow to emerge. That is now changing. Newly formed regional chapters and working groups are scaling up exposomics research by combining A.I., advanced sensor technology, metabolomics, and big data analytics. These teams are actively forming partnerships and working to translate scientific discoveries into policies that benefit broad populations rather than select groups.
This initiative is designed to align with ongoing global research efforts while continuing to expand in real time and generate meaningful returns. Organizers recognize that integrating complex scientific guidance into policymaking, especially around emerging and sometimes controversial technologies, is essential to long term success. A bottom-up model that engages both citizens and elected officials forms the foundation of the project. Supporters argue that whether addressing childhood autism and asthma, managing cognitive decline in older adults, or regulating microplastics, pesticides, and food colorants, research must focus on understanding how combined exposures influence health outcomes.
South Africa and a Pan-African Exposome Network
On December 1st, 2025, in Pretoria, the South African government leveraged its Science Forum South Africa and the World Conference of Science Journalists, hosted by the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA), to advance exposome collaboration. National and pan-African experts convened to assess the feasibility of creating a continent-wide exposome network. Senior officials from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) also received dedicated briefings. South Africa had previously participated at Deputy Director-General level in the May 2025, Washington D.C. launch of the Human Exposome Project.
One immediate result of the Pretoria meeting was an agreement for pan-African experts to engage directly with Global Exposome Forum working groups and participate in thematic meetings worldwide. Improving coordination of health data reporting systems has been identified as an early priority. A follow-up workshop is scheduled for early December, 2026, marking one year since the initial gathering. Meanwhile, the SDCfA has indicated its readiness to serve as the founding host of a pan-African exposome network.
Science Advice and Policy Partnerships
Prof. Rémi Quirion, President of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA), has been an active supporter of exposomics and the growing international consortium behind it. INGSA organized a policy-focused panel during the May 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C., featuring speakers that included chief scientists and leaders from UNESCO, WHO, and the African Academy of Sciences.
Since then, INGSA has facilitated ongoing discussions with the Global Exposome Forum on how ‘exposomethics’ can be effectively integrated into policymaking. Another high-level session is scheduled for April 29th, 2026, at the Global Exposome Summit in Sitges, Spain. INGSA has also agreed to formalize collaboration with GEF across its 10,000-member network and continental chapters to advise on strategic engagement with science advisory systems worldwide.
On December 8th, 2025, the Global Exposome Forum also launched a partnership with the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) and UNESCO. This collaboration includes a series of focused virtual town halls covering single-cell analysis, genomics, exposomics, and science policy. UNESCO, which participated at senior level in the May 2025 Washington D.C. meeting, is expected to host a follow-up session in Paris on March 3rd, 2026, at Assistant Director-General level. That meeting is intended to prepare for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and the Global Exposome Forum.
Regional Expansion and Global Summit
Momentum continues to build worldwide. Regional chapters are being established in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Southeast Asia. In Europe, the European Exposome Forum is organizing the Global Exposome Summit in Sitges, Spain from April 27-29, 2026. Early registration numbers have exceeded expectations, and the event is shaping up to include leading voices in health science, A.I., supercomputing, and forward-looking policymaking.
Working Groups and Digital Collaboration
Central to the Forum’s strategy is the creation of exposome-focused and sub-domain working groups. These member-driven teams are responsible for defining and tackling some of the field’s most urgent scientific and policy questions. Participants from industry, government, academia, and civil society collaborate through a dedicated digital platform designed to support messaging, document sharing, and coordinated international work.
These working groups represent a core element of the Global Exposome Forum’s structure. They reflect its grassroots, member-led philosophy while enabling large-scale coordination across sectors and borders.
From Vision to Implementation
Collectively, these developments signal a shift from planning to execution. Through coordinated public and private partnerships, international cooperation, and shared research infrastructure, the Global Exposome Forum is helping move exposomics from an emerging concept to a transformative force in public health and modern medicine.
