Health and the Environment

Just as humans affect the environment, the environment affects humans. Penn State researchers are collaborating on ways that human health is being impacted, from pollution and toxins to infectious disease and climate change.

Systems In Sync

Dynamics of disease, environmental change, and gene-environment interactions have been affecting human, animal, and plant health for decades. From indoor pollution to infectious disease to climate change, health is being impacted.

Researchers are addressing these important factors in order to disrupt infectious disease vectors, enable precautionary design of chemicals and materials, and develop medical treatments to minimize negative impacts.

Scientists are also identifying an increasing number of beneficial human/environment interactions, including the microbiomes in our digestive systems and on our skin.

Penn State continues to grow in this area with the College of Health and Human Development's focus on Environmental Health Sciences.

A team of Penn State researchers is collaborating on a potential new method to treat cancer by delivering a unique nanoparticle to a localized cancerous area in mice and activating the treatment through light exposure — Adam Glick and a team of Penn State researchers are collaborating on a potential new method to treat cancer by delivering a unique nanoparticle to a localized cancerous area in mice and activating the treatment through light exposure.

Health and the Environment Research

Featured IEE Researchers

James Freihaut

Professor, Architectural Engineering

Juliet Pinto

Associate Professor, Journalism

Institutes, Centers, & Programs

Health and the Environment News

Featured Stories

Four faculty join the Institute of Energy and the Environment

September 30, 2026

Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) has welcomed four new faculty members whose research expands the breadth of expertise within its interdisciplinary community.

Mentions: Bruce Logan, Jhordanne Jones, Mingyu Shin, Femeena Pandara Valappil, Jun Xu

Penn State alumni turn hands-on learning into research expertise

August 19, 2026

For many Penn State students, research begins in a classroom, a laboratory or a volunteer opportunity. For three alumni now working at Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), those early experiences became the foundation for careers advancing environmental science and research.

Mentions: Andrew T. Ross, Julia Patcyk, Logan Kyle, Odette Mina, Lisa Emili, Jay Stauffer Jr.