The research mission of the EXPOSOME consortium is to develop and characterize an integrated approach for the continuum “source-to-outcome pathway (SOP)”.
Our main goal is to combine the extensive expertise in the chemical characterization of human and ecological exposome with relevant clinical-epidemiological studies and with mechanistic insights regarding the adverse outcome pathways and toxicology.
Our ultimate ambition is to construct a SOP framework for a number of relevant health effects such as endocrine-mediated neurological and metabolic disorders, which are influenced by exposure to chemicals and environmental factors.
We propose a synergetic and multidisciplinary approach based on three Research Pillars, positioned at different levels of structural organization, and provide complementary information on multiple exposure, responses and effects.
- Pillar I - Aggregate exposure pathway and exposome (external and internal exposure). This pillar aims to develop the characterization of the aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) and exposome (internal and external exposure).
- Pilar II – Exposure-wide association studies (EWAS). This pillar focuses on EWAS studies (clinical and epidemiological studies) which associate chemical exposures to adverse health effects related to metabolic and neurological disorders for specific age groups.
- Pillar III – Investigating mechanisms of toxicity and modes of action (MOA) of chemicals. This pillar focuses on the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and the toxicologically relevant exposure pathways characterized in Pillar I and to the health effects investigated in Pillar II.