Expanseeker

Expanseeker aids in understanding the exposome's impact on health by engaging users in scientific research through unique challenges and activities. The exposome encompasses all environmental factors, including diet, air quality, and lifestyle choices like smoking or exercising. By leveraging citizen science, Expanseeker collects large amounts of data to explore these environmental impacts on health, focusing on major contributors to Cardio-Metabolic and Pulmonary Disease (CMPD) within urban settings. Participants collaborate with Professor Aternum, offering feedback and contributing to ongoing research efforts, while earning decorations as they engage with the app.

Participatory Citizen Science

In collaboration with key European projects, this app serves as the official tool for the EXPANSE project's Panel study and Exposome-NL project. It emphasizes how urban environments can affect health and aims to provide urban planners, policymakers, and citizens with actionable insights for fostering healthier lifestyles. By participating in the Urban Labs study, which includes diverse European cities like Randstad, Athens, Basel, Warsaw, and Barcelona, users can track spatial and temporal activity patterns, utilize sensor-based environmental measurements, and undertake behavioral assessments. The aim is to decode the ‘Urban Exposome’—a blend of social and environmental elements impacting health.

Remote and Self-Managed Data Collection

All activities within the study are conducted remotely, relying on self-administered data collection, aligning well with the contemporary focus on citizen science. Participants provide crucial information by responding to personalized queries about lifestyle and behavior, without any direct researcher involvement. This data aids in assessing exposure profiles and predicting the CMPD risk based on one’s residential vicinity, lifestyle choices, and relocation intentions.

Through these innovative approaches, Expanseeker provides a platform for users to contribute actively to scientific understanding of how urban environments affect health.