Offered By

The exposome: cracking the science about what makes us sick

Utrecht University

About this Course

What are the causes of disease? We know that most diseases result from a combination of genes and environment (nature and nurture). Our genes alone do not determine our fate. For most complex diseases, externalities - environmental factors in the broad sense - are more important. This includes our living and working environments, diet, social support and stress, pollution, and exposure to infectious agents. Exposome research is about discovering the non-genetic drivers of health and disease.
Derived from the term exposure, the Exposome represents the totality of exposures we face throughout our lifetime. It also represents the biological responses that arise from external exposures. 

In this course, 7 researchers from Utrecht University and/or the NWO Gravitation programme Exposome-NL will offer their expertise. We will introduce you to the Exposome concept; why it’s important; how we measure the exposome; and the data sciences steps needed to establish associations with health outcomes. This course will conclude with reflections on what is needed to advance this nascent and transformative field of research. 

Exposome research requires transdisciplinary approaches. Therefore, this MOOC will be of interest to current and prospective students and researchers in the fields of public health, environmental health, life sciences, clinical medicine, geosciences, humanities, and social and behavioural sciences.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Intermediate Level

Bachelor degree

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Intermediate Level

Bachelor degree

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Roel Vermeulen

Professor

1,153 Learners

1 Course

Diederick E. Grobbee

Professor

Clinical Epidemiology

37,859 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

Utrecht University

Founded in 1636 and located in the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht University is one of Europe's leading research universities, recognised internationally for a high-quality, innovative approach to research and teaching. Studying at Utrecht University means studying at one of the world's best universities, with a total student body of around 30,000 students and 12 Nobel prize winners.Utrecht University offers over 90 graduate programmes (MSc, MA) and 12 undergraduate programmes (BSc, BA, LLM). All programmes are fully English-taught, and cover a wide range of academic disciplines including Natural Sciences, Law, Governance, Life Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Earth Sciences.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Introduction to the Exposome concept

2 hours to complete

1 video (Total 7 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

The transformative power of Exposome approaches: using the example of cardiovascular disease reasearch

2 hours to complete

1 video (Total 6 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

The external Exposome: methodological approaches

3 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 11 min), 2 readings

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

The internal Exposome: methodological approaches

2 hours to complete

1 video (Total 5 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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The exposome: cracking the science about what makes us sick

The exposome: cracking the science about what makes us sick

About this Course