A growing body of scientific evidence showcases the positive influence of nature in human health for people of all ages. Nature helps wellbeing and prevention of risk factors derived from modern and urban lifestyle by promoting physical activity, restoring mental health, or protecting against noxious environmental exposures, as pollution or noise. Interacting with natural environments is proving beneficial to physical and psychological wellbeing. However, the analysis of the ways in which nature supports human health is a scientific field that is still young and unexplored, especially in the Mediterranean region.
The Environment and Human Health Laboratory, (EH2Lab), led by the CTFC, will study the links between the natural environment and human health with the aim of inform decision-makers, facilitate data-driven decisions, generate public awareness, grow the body of scientific evidence, improve the human-nature relationship and moth people’s wellbeing. We focus on the role of nature’s features and characteristics in inducing health effects on human beings at various levels and dimensions. We try to go above and beyond the presence or absence of natural environments and look at them from an inter-disciplinary perspective.
The laboratory articulates into four main research areas: Cities, Forests, Landscapes and Society.
The researchers from EH2Lab bring together their multidisciplinary background as environmental scientists in the fields of epidemiology, air chemistry, microbiology, data science, communication and education.
Last modified: 20 July 2020
