Environmental Health
What is environmental health?
Humans are as healthy as the environment in which they live. Environmental health focuses on assessing the public health risks associated with biological, chemical and physical hazards in natural and built environments.
What are we doing in this area?
Faculty in environmental health engage in a wide range of research interests, including but not limited to:
- waterborne diseases
- zoonotic and vector-based infectious diseases
- water and air quality
- pollutant exposure and effects
- GIS modelling of water quality
- integrated animal/human/environmental disease surveillance and modelling in a One Health framework.
- antibiotic resistance
The research is often performed in the context of multi-disciplinary collaborations at the local, provincial, national and international level.
What is the focus of our research?
Our current research activities include:
- safe, secure water supplies for Alberta
- prion diseases and environmental transmission
- molecular epidemiology of waterborne parasites
- tracking sources of pathogens in the environment
- sources, fate and effects of persistent organic pollutants
- biotransformation of environmental contaminants
- drug resistance in microbial pathogens
- occupational exposures associated with asthma
- waterborne diseases
- microbial risk assessment
- water treatment and water quality
Researcher Patrick Hanington studies water parasites both in Canada and around the world.
Learn more