Mapping the Exposome: A Conversation with Gary Miller, a Pioneer in the Field

In an interview with the Belgian publication De Standaard, environmental health scientist Gary Miller, Columbia Mailman School Vice Dean for Research Strategy and Innovation, discussed the exposome—the totality of environmental factors that shape human health. Advances in technology and AI are making it increasingly possible to measure and understand these complex exposures, says Miller, a leading figure in exposome research.

Miller, who is also the Adrienne Block Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, points to ongoing uncertainty about the health effects of PFAS, a large class of human-made “forever chemicals” used since the 1950s. Although studies have linked certain PFAS compounds to disruptions in hormone function and the immune system, researchers are still working to establish clear connections between specific exposures and health outcomes.

That work is highly complex. “We can only detect a small fraction of PFAS compounds, and the populations studied for health effects must be carefully selected,” Miller explains in the interview, conducted at the University of Antwerp. As a pioneer in exposome science, he combines measurements of chemicals such as PFAS in blood samples with analyses of their potential health consequences.

By systematically mapping environmentally relevant exposures, Miller and fellow researchers hope to better understand the factors that contribute to disease.

The challenges are significant. Exposome research depends on collecting massive amounts of environmental data from many different sources and integrating it with medical information in large-scale association studies. Miller offers PFAS as an example: many older PFAS compounds have been phased out and replaced with alternatives. Association studies may help determine whether the older compounds are harmful while newer replacements are less so.

During his visit to Belgium, Miller is also delivering a broader lecture on the exposome to researchers and students at the University of Antwerp at the invitation of the Francqui Foundation. He will also lecture at other Belgian universities this spring as a visiting professor based at Ghent University.