Members of the MRC Centre for Environment and Health, the Health Protection Research Units (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health, and in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards  from Imperial College London,  and UK Health Security Agency, together with project partners from  the University of Manchester and Queen Mary University of London attended the New Scientist Live, North 2022 event in Manchester to highlight our ongoing work. We specifically focused on emerging public health concerns around the links between air pollution and brain health, both cognitive development in children and dementia risk in the elderly, and environmental microplastic exposure.

Dr Stephanie Wright also gave a platform presentation on microplastics and health; with the educational sessions delivered as part of the Children’s Health in London and Luton being showcased on the final day, which was targeted at schools within the North West. We also performed quizzes and polls to evaluate the public’s understanding of environmental risks and to establish what they felt should be our research priorities going forward – spoiler alert (!) – it was the health impacts of climate change.