Associations of Forest vs. Urban Environmental Exposure with Well-Being and Nasal Microbiome Composition: An Exploratory Pilot Study
Featured Speaker: Dr. Connor Lashus, PhD. student, School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington
The benefits of nature exposure for human well-being are well-recognized, yet much remains to be understood about the underlying causal mechanisms. This exploratory, hypothesis-generating pilot study used a natural experimental design with University of Washington students (Seattle, WA, USA; 2024) to investigate links between the nasal microbiome and well-being over an 8-week forest vs. urban environment exposure. After an academic year (September-May) during which all participants (N = 13) were full-time students in Seattle, one group relocated to remote forest sites in western Washington (n = 5; forest condition), while another group remained in urban Seattle (n = 8; urban condition). Self-reported affect, rumination, and mental well-being were assessed pre- and post-exposure using validated surveys, and nasal swabs were collected pre- and post-exposure for nasal microbiome profiling via 1…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Denny Hall (DEN). Campus room: 313. Accessibility Contact: clcarr82@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Target Audience: Undergraduate/Graduate Students, Faculty, and Staff.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM.