Presentation of the cross-disciplinary project

Human disruption of Earth's natural systems poses growing threats to population health, reversing hard-won gains in wellbeing and exposing deep vulnerabilities in how societies manage environmental change. Planetary Health Pathways is an interdisciplinary theme group at Aarhus University, that brings together researchers from health sciences, environmental science, nutrition, law, and the humanities to address this challenge in an integrated way.

The group builds a structured platform connecting four core dimensions of: 

• health, including measurable health outcomes, vulnerability and prevention strategies;
• environmental, including environmental and occupational exposures, food systems and biodiversity dynamics;
• societal, including sociocultural forces, public understanding, and community responses; and
• structural, including governance, regulation, policy, and implementation conditions that shape how societies can respond to planetary health challenges.

Over two years, the group will run a seminar series and targeted workshops, producing a shared research agenda that identifies key cross-disciplinary interfaces and a concrete pathway document toward a future Planetary Health Centre at Aarhus University. By creating a common language and connecting complementary expertise across faculties, the group aims to strengthen Aarhus University’s contribution to planetary health research and education in a field that urgently links health, sustainability, and societal transition.