A family cares for a flock of chickens

Health for Life

Huck researchers study how biological, environmental, and social experiences across the lifespan shape the health of plants, animals, and humans, developing strategies with stakeholders to promote long-term well-being.

Health for Life

Multiple generations of a family enjoying a hike

The health of plants, animals, and humans is impacted by experiences across the lifespan. These experiences include exposure to beneficial and parasitic organisms (microbes, fungi, viruses, nematodes, etc.), changing nutritional regimes, contaminants and pollutants, and social conditions. The effects of these exposures can be long-lasting, where experiences during development influence outcomes in adulthood, and may persist into future generations. These effects can manifest in many ways, including compromised or more resilient immune systems, cognitive declines or long-term cognitive flexibility, and metabolic changes.

Our researchers are working with stakeholders, including farmers, community groups and policymakers, to develop strategies to promote health of plants, animals, and humans by considering the impacts of biological, environmental, and socio-cultural factors across all aspects of the lifecycle.

News

Q&A: Unifying the microbiome sciences for global health and sustainability

Recently, members of Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center published an article in the American Society for Microbiology’s flagship journal, mBio. In this Q&A, a few of the paper’s authors discussed how the center is leading the charge to breakdown traditional disciplinary silos and expand the One Health focus to include more than just pathogenic microbial threats.

Huck Chair in Nanomedicine plans to take research from bench to bedside

As biomedical challenges grow more complex, Penn State’s Dipanjan Pan is pioneering a multifaceted approach to nanomedicine that spans basic research, clinical translation and entrepreneurial deployment.

$2.9M grant funds study on long-term effects adolescent binge drinking

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Penn State will use a new five-year, $2,900,000 grant to investigate the long-term effects of excess alcohol drinking during adolescence.

News

Q&A: Unifying the microbiome sciences for global health and sustainability

Recently, members of Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center published an article in the American Society for Microbiology’s flagship journal, mBio. In this Q&A, a few of the paper’s authors discussed how the center is leading the charge to breakdown traditional disciplinary silos and expand the One Health focus to include more than just pathogenic microbial threats.

Huck Chair in Nanomedicine plans to take research from bench to bedside

As biomedical challenges grow more complex, Penn State’s Dipanjan Pan is pioneering a multifaceted approach to nanomedicine that spans basic research, clinical translation and entrepreneurial deployment.

$2.9M grant funds study on long-term effects adolescent binge drinking

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Penn State will use a new five-year, $2,900,000 grant to investigate the long-term effects of excess alcohol drinking during adolescence.

Resetting the fight-or-flight response

New study reveals mechanism responsible for resetting key molecular cycle involved in response to stress and starvation.