The burgeoning economic and human development is impacting environmental quality adversely. Sustainability cannot be attained without preserving natural resources, and at the same time maintaining an ecological balance. As a healthier environment could prevent one-quarter of the global burden of disease, Meharry has embarked on the environmental health and toxicology initiative led by Dr. Aramandla Ramesh, professor and associate vice president for research and innovation and funded by the Department of Energy. 

This initiative is aimed at identifying chemical hazards in residential, occupational and environmental settings and measuring the levels of a wide array of chemicals using state-of-the-art analytical equipment. This initiative will serve two purposes: 

• help identify the chemical pollutants that are linked to environmentally induced diseases in underrepresented and vulnerable populations, 

• train undergraduate and graduate students and early-stage investigators from minority-serving institutions in environmental quality, and climate change issues using workshops, field trips to impacted sites, and other training mechanisms.

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