UBC Research: The Social Exposome Research Cluster
The UBC Social Exposome Research Cluster looks at the cascading effects of extrinsic factors, such as income, poverty and social relationship, as they manifest into intrinsic responses inside the body to impact child health and development. They describe this as a ‘society to cell’ approach. They then develop steps, based on this research, to inform the creation of policy and program practice.
Their four major research themes are:
· Extrinsic factors that affect child health and development: The differences that make a difference in child outcomes. Researchers in the areas are using medicine, population health, and the social and natural sciences to increase understanding of the conditions that promote inequalities in child health and development, including social vulnerabilities, environmental exposures, and interactions amongst various factors. A team involving 17 UBC research professors, along with research professors from Simon Fraser University, McMaster University, and McGill University in Canada; Emory University, University of Michigan, University of California/Irvine, and Stanford University in the USA; and the University of Zurich in Switzerland, are currently involved in a wide range of data collection and research studies.
· Technological developments: Characterizing and quantifying the exposome. UBC professors working in the fields of statistics, chemistry, medical genetics, dentistry, psychology, earth sciences and geochemistry, and cellular microbiology are involved in this area, along with Dr Candice Olger from the University of California Department of Psychology, who studies the influence of social inequalities and early adversity on health and well-being, and Dr. Carmen Marsit, the Director of the Emory University Exposome Research Center, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funded P30 Core Center dedicated to developing and supporting environmental health research focused on the exposome. UBC professor Dr. Kimberlyn McGrail is also part of this team. Dr. McGrail is the Scientific Director of Population Data BC, Data Director for the BC Academic Health Sciences Network, and the PI for a newly funded CIHR initiative to develop a pan-Canadian distributed data network.
· Intrinsic responses: The molecular mechanisms by which early experiences ‘get under the skin’. A number of the same team as those involved in researching the intrinsic factors are also involved in this team, along with a group of four research professors from Northwestern University in the USA.
· Policies and interventions: Improving children’s mental and physical health. The group of fifteen research professors working in this area, many of whom are also involved in other of the research areas, includes Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC.