Environmental Health and Precision Medicine Program (PRESAM)

Strategic Lines

Main activities

The PRESAM program is organized into six complementary Work Packages (WPs). WP1 ensures effective governance and coordination, while WP2 focuses on dissemination, communication and stakeholder engagement. The core scientific components of the program are distributed across WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6, each addressing a major dimension: chemical exposures (WP3), physical environmental stressors (WP4), biological agents (WP5) and population vulnerability (WP6). 

Notably, the scientific content of these WPs is built on research proposals submitted by members of the PRESAM network. This bottom-up approach is a key strength of the program. Each package will focus on concrete and realistic tasks. It ensures both the scientific relevance and feasibility of the subprojects, while also reinforcing the active involvement and long-term commitment of participating research groups.

This approach also facilitates the development of pilot projects, produce robust preliminary data and position the program members for success in future competitive funding calls.

The detailed scientific deliverables, milestones and implementation plan of each subproject are specified in the corresponding section "ANNEXES. SUBPROJECTS.", which constitutes an integral part of the Program's operational framework.

WP1: Governance and Strategic Coordination

Main Objectives

WP1 ensures the effective coordination and overall governance of the PRESAM program. Its main objective is to guarantee that all activities across work packages are aligned with the program's scientific goals and institutional responsibilities.

It provides the structural support needed to keep the program coherent, well-integrated and adaptable to both local priorities and emerging research opportunities. 

WP2: Dissemination

Main Objectives

The main goal of WP2 is to ensure that the knowledge generated by PRESAM is communicated effectively, broadly disseminated and translated into real societal impact.

This includes not only sharing scientific results but also making them understandable, relevant and accessible to a wide range of audiences.

WP2 aims to raise awareness of environmental health challenges in the province of Lleida, promote trust in science and foster active participation from stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers and the general public. 

WP3: Chemical Exposome and Emerging Contaminants

This work package aims to explore the health impacts of exposure to environmental chemical pollutants in the province of Lleida.

The focus is on contaminants typically associated with agricultural, industrial and domestic activities. WP3 seeks to quantify these exposures in vulnerable populations and investigate their links with key physiological and clinical endpoints.

WP4: Physical Exposome and Environmental Factors

This work package explores how physical environmental exposures, such as air, temperature extremes, noise and artificial light, affect health outcomes in the province of Lleida.

WP4 places special emphasis on how these interact to influence metabolic, circadian health and healthcare service demand.

The overarching objective is to generate evidence linking environmental stressors to biomarker-based indicators of physiological function, thereby supporting personalized prevention strategies within a precision environmental health framework and ultimately informing local health policies

WP5: Biological Exposome and Disease Vectors

This work package focuses on biological exposures that affect human health, particularly those related to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens circulating in the environment, animals and clinical settings.

Anchored in a One Health approach, WP5 investigates how intensive livestock activity and environmental conditions contribute to the emergence and transmission of resistant bacteria.

The WP also integrates molecular tools to identify predictive biomarkers and develop more targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

WP6: Population Vulnerability and Urban-Rural Gradient

This work package investigates how environmental exposures interact with geographic, social and structural inequalities to influence population health in the province of Lleida.

WP6 focuses on the urban-rural gradient, paying particular attention to how living in rural or underserved areas may amplify vulnerability to environmental health risks. 

The work will explore barriers to timely diagnosis, unequal access to healthcare services and impact of pesticide exposure.

Special emphasis is placed on groups known to be at increased risk, such as women or the elderly and low-income populations, ensuring that environmental health research does not overlook those most affected.