IHEN PROJECT

The proliferation of exposome research programs and projects has led to a significant increase in research output and to the establishment of new initiatives and infrastructures in Europe and globally. Yet, cooperation between initiatives at the EU level and globally is still sporadic and scattered. The IHEN Project aims to establish an International Human Exposome Network (IHEN) with the overall purpose of improving global research and cooperation on the exposome. It proposes an ambitious pathway towards the development of a longer term IHEN that brings together multi-sectorial stakeholders globally, which is essential for enhancing the impact of future exposome research. Specific objectives are to: 1) design the organisational structure of IHEN so that it serves to strengthen cooperation and coordination of exposome research in Europe and foster and align cooperation globally, including options for long-term governance and financing; 2) identify and make available exposome tools, metadata and resources at the global scale in a FAIR toolbox, including tool inventories and data catalogues; 3) test the FAIR toolbox via a series of demonstrator projects; 4) develop a roadmap for future exposome research and innovation, including the formulation of an operational definition of exposome research and an interim research agenda; and 5) effectively communicate and disseminate the IHEN Project results to a wide community of stakeholders, and develop an inventory of exposome training opportunities. The project will interact, in all stages of the work, with key stakeholders’ groups: EU and global exposome researchers, initiatives and infrastructures; EU, national, and international agencies and organisations; funding bodies; civil society organisations; and industry.

2023

2026