Environmental Health Sciences Center

The Environmental Exposure Core (EEC) provides researchers with expertise in study design, selection of appropriate and effective exposure assessment methods, as well as guidance and tools for interpretation of exposure assessment data. Qualified researchers can apply for financial assistance through the EHSC Seed Grant Program.

We’re global leaders in environmental health sciences research who aim to make a difference in the well-being of California’s diverse communities. We work with local groups and governments to identify new approaches in science and develop real-world solutions to the environment’s most challenging health problems. From innovative toxicological studies on Alzheimer’s to pioneering research on the epigenetics of autism, we’re front and center breaking new ground in understanding how the environment interacts with human health.

Our Pilot Projects Program is one of the main ways we fund environmental health research.

Deborah Bennett, PhD is an exposure scientist whose research both measures and models chemicals in dust, air and consumer products.

Dr. Bennett studies volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) like plasticizers, electronics, cosmetics, flame retardants, pesticides and particulate matter. Working closely with epidemiologists and toxicologists, she researches how chemicals make their way into the body and set off biological reactions that lead to certain diseases and conditions, from asthma to autism.

Like other centers sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the research we do at the UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) can be broken up into three key areas or "cores." Contact any one of the co-directors below for more information.