Exposomics Education: Lessons from the Exposome Bootcamp#

Authors#

Carolina Duarte-Hospital, Randolph Singh, Austin Argentieri, Christine Avery, Marc Chadeau-Hyam, Meaghan Doherty, Saurabh Dubey, Nader Elmehdawi, Xin Hu, Vrinda Kalia, Hector C Keun, Jana Klánová, Jeremy Koelmel, Yunjia Lai, Kostas Lazaridis, Shuzhao Li, Donghai Liang, Lea Maitre, Katherine Manz, Renu Nandakumar, Brooklynn Mcneil, Megan Niedzwiecki, Krystal Pollitt, Elliott J. Price, Emma Schymanski, Hanisha H. Udhani, Karan Uppal, Martine Vrijheid, Roel Vermeulen, Abigail Wellbourn, Craig Wheelock, Robert O. Wright, Jianghao Xia, Anna Young, Dean P. Jones, Douglas I. Walker, Gary W. Miller

Abstract#

Exposomics aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the environmental drivers of disease in a manner comparable to genomics. The increased interest in the exposome and exposomics has created a need for educational offerings in the field. In 2017, Columbia University launched the Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) program to provide intensive workshops or bootcamps on topics relevant to environmental health. In 2019, the first Exposome Bootcamp was created under the SHARP model and has been held for six consecutive years. Participants and instructors have come from over 100 institutions, 30 states in the U.S., and 16 countries worldwide, demonstrating the widespread interest in the field. This paper provides an overview of the planning and design efforts that went into creating and sustaining the Exposome Bootcamp. It also delves into how the training program has evolved over the course of these six years, adapting to the changing landscape of exposomics and responding to the needs and feedback of participants. The continuous growth and development of the Exposome Bootcamp is a testament to the dynamic nature of exposomics and the commitment to providing high-quality education and training in this emerging field.