The role of research in environmental science and health

Research plays a crucial central role between physicians and regulatory agencies in assessing the potential risks posed by an ever-increasing variety of environmental pollutants. The explosion in our understanding of biology and the development of the powerful tools of molecular biology during the last 50 years have provided us with a unique opportunity to apply this knowledge to predict the dangers of these pollutants and to act to protect the public where appropriate. To realize this vision requires multidisciplinary cooperation, continued research funding, and improved scientific literacy among the public. In this article, we do not attempt to review all the literature relating the role that research has played in environmental health and science, but rather we hope to provide the reader with a broad overview of the role that research has played in the past, emphasizing our own area of expertise (the respiratory system) and the role that research should play as our increasingly complex society moves into the 21st century.