3 things policymakers need to know about exposomics

The lesser-known scientific field could help solve the biggest public health challenges the world faces today.

Chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease are not only driving up health care costs, but they’re also claiming millions of lives each year in the U.S. and around the world. Many of these diseases are preventable, yet the root causes are often overlooked.

While genetics research has helped us understand what we inherit from our DNA, scientists are finding that our surroundings—where we live and what we breathe, eat, and experience—may play an even bigger role in whether we get sick.

Studies show that up to 90% of disease risk may come from environmental factors like air pollution, chemicals, stress, and housing conditions. But many of these influences are not tracked or measured. That’s where exposomics comes in.

At the recent Exposome Moonshot Forum hosted at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., scientists, public health leaders, and policy experts explored how exposomics could improve the way we treat disease, protect communities, and prevent health problems before they start.

“What we’re doing is going to influence the health of every individual across the United States and around the world,” said Rick Woychik, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “[Lawmakers] want to know: Why is there an obesity epidemic in the United States? Why are we seeing increasing rates of autism and type 2 diabetes? That’s what our vision should really address—that’s what will inspire passion and interest from lawmakers and the general public.”

3 things policymakers need to know about exposomics’ role in public health

1. Exposomics is a missing link in improving disease prediction

Genomics has given scientists a powerful lens into inherited disease risk, but only a fraction of chronic conditions can be explained by our DNA alone. Exposomics helps complete the picture by tracking how environmental exposures influence health over time.

Exposure to chemicals, air pollution, food contaminants, and even stress can explain why some people or communities face more health risks than others. By understanding these patterns, we can better predict disease, act sooner, and reduce harm, especially in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards.

One example is the National Institutes of Health’s “All of Us” Research Program, which is beginning to integrate exposomic data to examine how environmental exposures contribute to disease and suggest treatments based on a patient’s environment, lifestyle, family health history, and genetic makeup.

“If we really want to influence human health, we have to integrate the environment in the exposomics framework into the way that we study the etiology (causes) of human disease,” Woychik said. “Different people respond to the environment in different ways. We need to develop a strategic framework that incorporates individual biological variability across the population of humans.”

2. AI can turn exposome data into actionable insights

Tracking all these environmental factors generates a mountain of data, from wearable devices and satellite images to electronic health records and lab results. Artificial intelligence is key to making sense of it all.

With AI, scientists can spot patterns in data, build models, and predict how certain exposures might lead to disease. It can help move beyond static measurements to real-time insights based on how people actually live. While it may take years before this science is built into everyday medical care, it is already being used to guide public health decisions and policies, such as predictive modeling for air quality policy and early warning systems using AI-integrated environmental exposure data.

“We’re entering a whole new period of science where what was unthinkable even two or three years ago becomes achievable,” said Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist at the World Health Organization “And it’s because of the investment in discovery, curiosity, and basic science over many years. We have to use that science to address the great challenges of our time.”

3. Exposomics is a tool for smarter, faster health solutions

Exposomics offers a powerful way to tackle some of the country’s most persistent public health challenges, from asthma in children to rising cancer rates in polluted areas. By identifying and measuring the environmental exposures that drive disease, exposomics can help shape policies that prevent harm before it happens.

Federally funded programs like the National Institute of Environmental Health Science’s Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource are already using this approach, collecting data on air pollution, chemical exposures, and psychosocial stress to better understand why some communities face greater health burdens than others.

Today, we have tools—including AI, sensors, and lab testing—that make it possible to detect hidden environmental dangers. But data alone isn’t enough. Policymakers need clear, trusted information to act on, and they need to be involved early to help shape research questions and set priorities that reflect real-world concerns.

Public engagement also matters. When people understand how their environment affects their health, they’re more likely to support the science and policies that follow, panelists said.

“Science has to provide a sense of where we’re going rather than where we’ve been, and it has to drive a sense of opportunism, optimism, and hope, because the world needs that at the moment,” Farrar said. “The opportunity here is to break down the silos and broaden the way we see these things.”