The Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (IEHS) is dedicated to understanding the complex role of environmental exposure in disease development. IEHS scientists and their collaborators are engaged in basic mechanistic studies (using animal and cellular models) and human investigations to determine the health impact of exposure to environmental stressors. Of particular interest are stressors that are especially prevalent in the urban industrialized environment, both chemical (e.g., air pollution, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, maternal alcohol exposure) and psychosocial. Critical periods of human organ differentiation and development are also considered to represent life windows of heightened susceptibility to environmental stressors. IEHS research teams are committed to working effectively with members of the urban community and with transdisciplinary partners to develop strong, innovative, and integrated problem-oriented programs aimed at reducing the burden of environmental disease risk for vulnerable urban populations.

The IEHS is home to the Molecular and Cellular Toxicology (MCT) graduate program, a specialization within the Department of Pharmacology which emphasizes an integrated approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms and public health implications of environmental exposure. Physician scientist Melissa Runge-Morris, M.D. has served as a member of the IEHS faculty since 1990, and became the Director of IEHS in 2008.