Chapter 18: Metabolomics in Public Health
by Pierpaolo Cavallo
Abstract
The Chapter aims to propose a conceptual framework of Metabolomics in Public Health. As Metabolomics, between the many post-genomic study methods, has a true horizontal approach, because it studies the universe of the small molecules, it unravels signals which are downstream from genes, and much more near to the phenotype phenomena of a disease or condition.
To address these concepts, a number of themes are discussed, namely the data integration at different levels, the relationship of Metabolomics with the Systems Biology Public Health Science, the relevance and role of longitudinal and lifelong studies, the role of the quantitative methods, the connection with Big Data in Public Health with the possible evolution towards a “precision public health” and, finally, the process of knowledge integration in the fields of policies, training and resources, with the final goal of a strong translation of Metabolomic tools from research to practice.
Pierpaolo Cavallo
Department of Physics, University of Salerno, Fisciano, SA, Italy; Istituto Sistemi Complessi – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
Medical Doctor, specialist in Nuclear Medicine (University of Naples "Federico II"). Master in Management and Health Administration (University "Luigi Bocconi", Milan), ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Lead Auditor (IRCA, UK), Post-graduate in Environmental Policy (University of Salerno).
Assistant Professor of Public Health, Department of Physics "E.R. Caianiello", University of Salerno. Guest Scholar, IMT - Institute for Advanced Studies, Lucca (2015), Research Associate, ISC-CNR - Complex Systems Institute.
Research interests: Public Health, Epidemiology. Complex Systems, Network Science and Big Data in Public Health. Environment and Health.