Human health is contingent on a healthy environment. Present environmental changes, largely a result of human activities, create risks to the well being of people and to the sustainability of other species on which people depend.

The Elizabeth May Chair in Sustainability and Environmental Health seeks to broaden the population health research agenda by incorporating factors related to environmental sustainability. Situating health in the context of sustainability provides a critical focus on the integrity and productivity of the biosphere's life-supporting systems as the primary determinants of human health.  

This research agenda will require input from, and integration of, a broad range of disciplines. The Chair, located within the Environmental Science Program in the Faculty of Science, seeks to contribute to many of Dalhousie's sustainability-related initiatives and support a collaborative research and learning environment.