Health and the Environment

Protecting Wellness

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 — IEE faculty member 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

Kathryn Brasier

Professor, Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education

Peter Hudson

Verne M. Willaman Professor, Biology

Institutes, Centers, & Programs

Health and the Environment News

Featured Stories

Governor recognizes Penn State program for 30 years of geospatial data service

January 12, 2026

The Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) program, established by Penn State in 1995, is celebrating 30 years of helping the commonwealth use data to make better decisions, from protecting the environment to planning for emergencies.

Mentions: Bruce Logan, Maurie Kelly

$1.74M grant to fund Eastern Fire Network

December 17, 2025 | psu.edu

As large wildfires become more frequent in the eastern U.S., a new research initiative based at Penn State will develop big-picture goals for future study. Erica Smithwick, director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at the University, will lead the effort.

Mentions: Erica Smithwick, Manzhu Yu