Environmental Health Sciences

The Division of Environmental Health Sciences teaches, researches, advocates and works collaboratively and cooperatively with researchers and community partners to advance environmental public health practices. Our faculty engages, trains and mentors the next generation of environmental health scientists and environmental public health practitioners. These public health experts go on to careers focused on identifying, preventing and mitigating human and animal exposures to and diseases caused by harmful chemical, microbiological and physical stressors in the environment.

Degrees and certificates

PhD Environmental Public Health

Develop your research expertise as you learn and understand the intersection between public health and the environment, and the multidisciplinary approaches needed to make an impact.

Learn about our PhD

MPH Environmental Health Sciences

Develop the knowledge and skills to identify and limit human exposure to hazards in the environment.

Discover the MPH

MS Environmental Public Health

Gain greater understanding of the connections between human health and the environment including epidemiology, toxicology and global health.

Find out more about the MS

BSPH Environmental Public Health

An interdisciplinary specialization for students who have an interest in both the environment and health, how environments impact health and a desire to find solutions to the challenges of environmental effects on the health of communities.

Explore the BSPH

Global One Health Graduate Certificate

To more efficiently and effectively achieve the best health outcomes for people, animals and the environment, develop your expertise in the surveillance, prevention, mitigation and intervention strategies that promote a healthy world.

Learn about One Health

Environmental Public Health Risk Assessment Graduate Certificate

Gain the knowledge and skills applicable to exposure hazard assessment and disease risk assessments involving environmental and occupational toxic chemical and infectious microbial agents.

Learn about Risk Assessment

Research expertise

Environmental and occupational health monitoring, assessment and modeling

Infectious and toxic-based disease risk assessment

Water and wastewater surveillance

Food safety

Air quality surveillance

Toxicology and epigenetics

Human exposure and disease biomarkers

Environmental Justice

Environmental analytical chemistry

Community and environmental epidemiology

Interdisciplinary partnerships

Division faculty collaborate with experts across Ohio State and those at local, state, national and international organizations to address population-based environmental public health issues. At the university alone, our partners include:

The James Comprehensive Cancer Center
Global One Health initiative
Global Water Institute
Infectious Diseases Institute
Sustainability Institute
Food and Agricultural Transformation
Translational Data Analytics Institute

See our partners

A message from the chair

Our faculty and students are uniquely positioned to tackle the profound global challenges posed by environmental contaminants and stressors, including climate change, which threaten public health. Our faculty engage in high-impact and diverse research — from laboratory- and field-based environmental health science to broader big-data-driven and translational sciences. This research recognizes the global environmental burdens that impact people and ecosystems worldwide. We are deeply committed to applying the principles and practices of environmental health to a "One Health" approach to teaching, research and practice. Now more than ever, environmental health researchers and practitioners are needed to address a myriad of environmental challenges that pose health threats in workplaces and communities.

Jiyoung Lee, PhD

Division faculty and staff

Min-Ae Song, PhD

Assistant Professor, Co-Director, Undergraduate Honors Program

Ahmad El Hellani, PhD

Assistant Professor

Karen Dannemiller, PhD

Associate Professor

Jiyoung Lee, PhD

Chair and Professor, Co-Director, Ecology Epidemiology and Population Health Program, Infectious Disease Institute

Ayaz Hyder, PhD

Associate Professor, Core Faculty, Translational Data Analytics Institute

Division faculty and staff

Careers in environmental health sciences

From professions such as environmental public health practitioners working at local health departments to professors and researchers working at major universities, Ohio State positions its graduates for success to protect the health of people and animals from hazards in the environment.

Career options