Collaborators: Rima Habre, Gary Miller, Krystal Pollitt, Tyler Pollock, Gwen Collman, Erin Haynes
The International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) 2026 Annual Meeting took place in Vancouver, Canada, from October 4–8th. This year’s meeting centered on the theme, “The Exposome in Action: Collaborative Science for Healthier People and Stronger Communities,” bringing together researchers from around the world to build connections across disciplines, share recent research, and explore real-world applications of exposure science and exposomics. ( ISES, 2026).
The meeting was organized under the leadership of Co-Chairs, Tyler Pollock, PhD, Health Canada, Rima Habre, ScD, University of Southern California, and Krystal Pollitt, PhD, P.Eng Yale University. Drs. Habre and Pollitt are leaders in the NEXUS: Network for the U.S. exposomics research coordinating center which aims to advance and promote exposome research and methods across the United States. They were guided by a specific vision and supported by a large Technical Organizing Committee and ISES leadership to achieve it.
Exposomics requires “exposure science” at scale. What set this meeting apart was the deliberate, heavy integration of exposomics and exposure sciences to create lasting connections and opportunities to cross-fertilize scientific methods and thinking and propel both fields forward.
Exposomics relies heavily on core expertise in exposure science, including measurement of exposures in air, water, soil or other media, and in human biospecimens; enhanced modeling of exposures; and identifying, quantifying and projecting exposure health risks, and the internal biological processes and cascades of events that lead to them, using epidemiology, toxicology, and risk assessment. It also relies heavily on data science to decipher mixture effects, identify pathways and mechanisms, and protect against false discovery. Translating exposomic data and results to policies and solutions also requires ethical, multidirectional and multisectoral engagement, which is a core tenant of exposure science and the work of ISES members.
During the conference, Drs. Habre, Pollock, and Pollitt sat down to reflect on the meeting, discussing the inspiration behind this year’s theme, the development of the conference program, and the participation of researchers from 36 countries.
The Exposome in Action: Reflections from the ISES 2026 Annual Meeting Co-Chairs (Podcast).
On the second day of the conference, NEXUS MPI Gary Miller, PhD, Columbia University, gave the plenary, “Exposomics, exposures, and science,” which highlighted the development of the field of exposomics, and how partnerships between the exposure science community and the exposomics community can advance human health.
After the meeting Dr. Miller commented, “I recall attending the 2015 ISES meeting and talking about the promise of exposomics. In retrospect, it was somewhat of a pipe dream. The methods were unproven, we hadn’t demonstrated how to incorporate exposomics into large-scale human studies, and we hadn’t shown that our data linked to well-established exposure studies. Fast forward to Vancouver in 2026; the science has advanced and the collaborative opportunities for exposomics and exposure science are enormous. As I noted in my closing. Exposure science needs exposomics, and exposomics needs exposure science. Working together, we can elevate the importance of the environment across all health funding agencies and, ultimately, devise improved strategies to prevent human disease.”
On the third day of the conference, Gwen Collman, PhD, delivered the plenary in a fireside chat with Rima Habre titled “Looking Back in Order to Look Forward.” Their conversation reflected on the progress and importance of exposure science as a field, highlighted key moments and the NIEHS leadership behind catapulting exposure science and centering the environment in health research programs across decades, and offered perspectives on future directions. The session concluded with a special recognition of Dr. Collman in celebration of her distinguished career and federal service at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), her many contributions to the field, and her lasting impact on the exposure science community.
Fireside Chat with Dr. Gwen Collman: Looking Back in Order to Look Forward (Podcast).
In her closing remarks, Dr. Collman said, “In my retirement, I am still doing this because I want to help identify the leaders of the future and do whatever I can to make sure that we have sustainable expertise, growth, funding, every opportunity […]. Our world and society need all of us to keep at it, to keep the hope, to keep the good work going and if I’ve even played a tiny part in that, it’s been my great honor and privilege.”
Thanks to the leadership and vision of President of ISES, Erin Haynes, PhD, University of Kentucky, exposomics was selected as the theme for the ISES annual meeting. Along with the society leadership team, the co-chairs were invited to materialize this vision into a robust scientific program and event in Vancouver.
Exposure Science and Community Engaged Research with Dr. Erin Haynes (Podcast).
Overall, the ISES 2026 Annual Meeting highlighted the value of collaboration between exposure science and exposomics in advancing environmental health research. By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and countries, the meeting created opportunities to share perspectives, strengthen connections, and identify new directions for research. Continued collaboration and momentum will be essential to to reduce cumulative environmental health risks, safeguard and empower people and communities, and shift public health, policy and healthcare towards more robust, systematic, and evidence-driven approaches.