Global Exposome Forum to announce three major partnerships at AAAS meeting

Global Exposome Forum to announce major partnerships at AAAS

A panel at the AAAS Annual Meeting will announce three major partnerships for the Global Exposome Forum, marking significant progress for the public health initiative. The session, titled "How the human exposome will unlock better health and medicine," will be held on February 14th, 2026 in Phoenix.

Panel organizer Professor Thomas Hartung of Johns Hopkins University stated the group aims to "make waves, not ripples." He confirmed the announcements will involve commitments from national governments, global scientific institutions, and large membership-led organizations.

The exposome's role in disease

The Human Exposome Project is designed to rival the scale of the Human Genome Project. While genetics may account for only 10-20% of disease risk, environmental exposures could contribute to at least 80%.

New research combines AI, sensor technology, and big data to study these exposures. The goal is to translate findings into policies that benefit broad populations, focusing on how combined exposures influence health.

• Genetics: 10-20% of disease risk
• Environmental exposures: At least 80% of disease risk
• Key tools: AI, advanced sensors, metabolomics, big data

Building a global network

In December 2025, South Africa hosted a meeting to assess creating a pan-African exposome network. Senior officials from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation received briefings, building on South Africa's participation in the project's Washington D.C. launch in May 2025.

The immediate result was an agreement for pan-African experts to engage with Global Exposome Forum working groups. The Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa has indicated readiness to serve as the founding host for this continental network.

Major institutional partnerships form

The International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) has become an active supporter, having organized a policy panel at the May 2025 launch. INGSA is facilitating discussions on integrating 'exposomethics' into policymaking and has agreed to formalize collaboration across its 10,000-member network.

On December 8th, 2025, the Forum launched a partnership with the Human Cell Atlas and UNESCO. This includes a series of virtual town halls, and UNESCO is expected to host a follow-up session in Paris on March 3rd, 2026 to prepare for a Memorandum of Understanding.

Worldwide momentum builds

Regional chapters are now being established in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. In Europe, the European Exposome Forum is organizing the Global Exposome Summit in Sitges, Spain from April 27-29, 2026.

Early registration for the summit has exceeded expectations. The event will feature leaders in health science, AI, supercomputing, and policy.

Central to the Forum's strategy are member-driven working groups that tackle urgent scientific and policy questions. Participants from industry, government, academia, and civil society collaborate through a dedicated digital platform.

These developments signal a shift from planning to execution for the exposomics field. Through international cooperation and shared research infrastructure, the initiative is moving from an emerging concept to a potential transformative force in public health.