Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for more than 70% of all deaths worldwide, 85% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries.
NCDs are becoming extremely prevalent due to the combination of an increased life expectancy and a higher prevalence of well-known major risk factors, such as smoking, air pollution, an obesogenic diet, physical inactivity and occupational exposures, as well as contextual changes in socio-economic and environmental factors, such as poverty, urban structure and climate change.
The NCDs and Environment Programme at ISGlobal aims to study the causes and mechanisms of development and progression of NCDs, covering the entire life course from prenatal to late adult life in high and low-middle income countries. We focus on the following determinants: environmental (air pollution, built and natural environment, light exposure, water chemical pollution, climate and global environmental crisis), occupational (occupational exposures, work shift, occupational heat stress), lifestyle (sleep, physical activity, diet), and genetic and molecular (genomics, epigenomics, molecular biomarkers) factors; and on the following diseases: cancers, respiratory, allergic, cardiometabolic (diabetes, obesity) and renal diseases, and neurological and mental health disorders, as well as multimorbidity and interaction of NCDs with infections (COVID-19).
Our ultimate goal is to use our research findings to prevent the occurrence and delay the progression of NCDs, in link with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Main research themes
- Measuring health loss, risk factors, exposures and impacts of NCDs
- Understanding the development, course, mechanisms and multimorbidities of NCDs
- Informing interventions and policies for primary and secondary prevention of NCDs
- Quantifying environmental exposures and NCDs burden in LMICs and vulnerable groups
Scientific approaches
- Using and improving advanced epidemiological, statistical and bioinformatics models
- Increasing the adoption of complex methods like artificial intelligence and data science
- Increasing the adoption of multilevel approaches like exposome and multiomics
- Developing the eHealth approach to NCDs
- Developing the Planetary Health approach to deal with NCDs in the context of the climate crisis, the 2030 SDGs and the post-pandemic green new deal in the EU
- Adopting intersectorial comprehensive methods, like multi stakeholder participation, for the translation of research results
Our Team
Head
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Judith Garcia Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases and Environment Programme
Our Team
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Josep M. Antó Research Professor -
Manolis Kogevinas Scientific Director of the Severo Ochoa distinction -
Juan Ramón González Associate Research Professor -
Cristina Villanueva Associate Research Professor -
Ximena Goldberg Assistant Research Professor -
Cristina O'Callaghan Associated Research Professor
Highlighted Projects
MCC-Spain
Population based multicasecontrol study on common tumours in Spain
OMEGA-NET
Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts
EPHOR
Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research
CORSAIR
Severe respiratory failure in COVID-19: clinical, biological and imaging risk factors
VEIS
Leveraging the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA) for Industry and Society
Mobilise-D
Connecting digital mobility assessment to clinical outcomes for regulatory and clinical endorsement
COVICAT
Cohorte Covid-19 en Cataluña
AiguaBCN
Exposure to emerging contaminants in drinking water in Barcelona potentially liked to chronic diseases and wellbeing
CALMA
Co-created educational programme for dyspnea-bearing patients and their caregivers
Cancer-Watch
Risk of colorectal and breast cancer with widespread drinking water chemical contaminants
CONTENT
Cohort of COVID-19 in Spain: social dynamics, mental health and inequalities
Estudio sobre la exposición a nano y microplásticos a través del agua de consumo de Barcelona
¿Es mejor consumir el agua de grifo si queremos reducir la exposición a nano/micropláticos?
Urban Health Citizen Lab
Characterizing Oral Exposure to Nanoplastics and Microplastics
Characterization of Oral NMP Exposure
iGenCO
In-Depth Genomics and Cross-Omics Analysis for Undiagnosed Rare Diseases on a User-Friendly Collaborative Platform
Other projects
See Past ProjectsAlimentación S2: por una dieta saludable y sostenible
ALEC (Aging Lungs in European Cohorts)
Ageing Lungs in European Cohorts
PROactive
Physical Activity as a Crucial Patient Reported Outcome in COPD
QUALI-VERD
Global Assessment of Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water
POLLAR
Impact Of Pollution on Asthma and Rhinitis
Fotovoz
Las Voces de los Afectados por la Nefropatía Mesoamericana