The inaugural IN2WIBE 2.0 (Interdisciplinary Networks for Well-Being in the Built Environment) workshop, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, was held on June 12–13, 2026, at the National University of Singapore. The workshop brought together an international group of experts in exposure and environmental health sciences, microbiology, virology, environmental chemistry, aerosol science, building science, engineering, architecture, design, public health, and the social and behavioral sciences to advance interdisciplinary research on health and well-being in the built environment.
Through short presentations, cross-disciplinary reflection sessions, breakout discussions, and collaborative planning, participants explored how indoor environmental quality (air quality, temperature, lighting, humidity, etc.) influences human health, identified critical research gaps, and developed new collaborations to accelerate evidence-based strategies, standards, and policies for healthier, more resilient, and human-centered buildings and communities. The workshop also marked an important milestone in expanding the IN2WIBE international network and fostering long-term partnerships across institutions and disciplines.
The first day of the workshop featured opening remarks followed by a series of presentations from experts in public health, medicine, engineering, and the built environment. NEXUS was well represented during the “Public Health and Medical Perspectives” session, which provided an opportunity to share the ongoing work and initiatives of NEXUS. NEXUS MPI Rima Habre, ScD, University of Southern California presented an overview of the state of the knowledge, lingering questions, and emerging needs for understanding indoor air pollution exposure and its health risks. She discussed the findings of the NASEM Why Indoor Chemistry Matters consensus study and report, and talked about the potential of advanced measurement and modeling capabilities, especially exposomics and personal monitoring, at advancing our understanding of health risks in indoor environments that are the greatest contributors to our daily exposures and wellbeing.
Co-lead of the ChemBio Hub Krystal Pollitt, PhD, Yale University, presented on how the buildings we occupy and the activities we carry out within them together shape personal chemical exposure and health. Drawing on passive sampler measurements collected across a range of environments, she showed that indoor air consistently holds a far more diverse mixture of chemicals than outdoors, almost none of it captured by traditional measures of air quality. She linked indoor chemical exposures to health outcomes spanning respiratory function, body composition, and aging, underscoring the need for lower-cost, low-burden personal sampling tailored to the range of buildings, behaviours, economies, and geographies where people live.
Overall, the meeting provided a great opportunity to learn about the ongoing interdisciplinary research occurring in the built environment field, including the opportunity to visit the National University of Singapore Labs at the end of the day. Thank you to Professor Ali Gharamani and his trainees for hosting the lab tour and sharing their research.
The final day of the workshop focused on discussion of key takeaways, future directions, and opportunities for continued collaboration across the IN2WIBE network. Breakout sessions helped further develop concepts and identify actionable next steps. Thank you to the event steering committee, Zheng O’Neill, Jin Wen, Simi Hoque, Gale M. Lucas, Teresa Wu, Giulia Pedrielli, Amy Carroll-Scott, and Burcin Becerik for a great workshop.