A Brief History of CHE

Promoting Prevention

Since its founding in 2002, CHE has fostered numerous interdisciplinary collaborations that have advanced disease prevention and health promotion in significant way. Accomplishments include these:

Establishing the first major academic program in the US on reproductive health and the environment (housed at the University of California, San Francisco – UCSF);
Creating an award-winning eBook on multiple contributors to specific health concerns with continuing education credits for health professionals available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
Engaging the President’s Cancer Panel in the first major review of the scientific literature on links between toxic exposures and cancer;
Educating national learning and developmental disabilities organizations about the emerging science and empowering them to become influential voices in reducing exposures to toxic chemicals through chemical policy reform initiatives and market campaigns;
Producing over 60 publications, for researchers, health professionals and lay constituencies to better understand new research and how it can be applied in “real world” ways;
Developing scientific consensus statements that have advanced research on environmental links to a wide range of diseases and disabilities

Founding of CHE

It is hard to be healthy on a sick planet. More and more of us are suffering from chronic diseases and disabilities. The research science is increasingly clear that a majority of these illnesses likely have common environmental contributors. If more people who are experiencing these health problems understood the links between environmental exposures and these conditions, then the groundswell of demand for cleaner air and water, healthier foods, safer products, and healthier homes, schools and workplaces would be immeasurably strengthened. In turn, not only would we have a healthier planet, but we would be healthier too.

This is, in essence, the theory of change that led to the establishment of CHE in 2002. Read more about CHE's history here.

Past Conferences and Meetings

Over the years CHE has organized a number of major conferences to bring the emerging environmental health science to a wide range of audiences. The goal has been to leverage strategic initiatives to help reduce environmental contributors to diseases and disabilities. All of our meetings, including our inaugural conference in 2002, have featured leading researchers who study the links between environmental exposures and various health endpoints. Some events have focused on educating specific audiences, like those in the learning and developmental disabilities sector or health professionals. Others have been solely for scientists to develop consensus statements about links between toxic exposures and particular health concerns, such as infertility and Parkinson's disease. In addition, we've tailored certain meetings for those interested primarily in children's health and others that include discussions of multiple, interacting environmental factors that can impact health across the lifespan. We have also offered trainings for smaller groups targeting an integral concern, such as environmental justice. Below you will find a list and description of some of our featured meetings.