Center for Environmental Health Sciences

What Center for Environmental Health Sciences does

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) is an academic research center within the University of Montana's College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, headquartered in the Skaggs Building on the Missoula campus with a secondary site at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana. Its stated mission is to advance knowledge of environmental impacts on human health, organized around investigating mechanisms of pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, immune and autoimmune disorders, developmental defects, neurodegenerative disease, and genetic susceptibility. The center is led by Director Andrij Holian, appointed in 2000, with a faculty and staff complement of approximately 20 individuals including research professors, core directors, a biostatistician, an IT systems administrator, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

CEHS delivers its mission through two integrated portfolios. The research portfolio comprises three specialized facility cores: the Inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology Core, which exposes animal models and humans to airborne contaminants including asbestos, ozone, silica, woodsmoke, methamphetamine, and engineered nanomaterials; the Fluorescence Cytometry Core, equipped with Luminex 100, Attune NxT, and BD FACSAria cell sorters; and the Molecular Histology and Fluorescence Imaging Core, which provides immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence support. The educational portfolio includes a Toxicology Graduate Studies Program awarding Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, a Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), postdoctoral training fellowships, and K-12 science education programs funded through NIH SEPA grants.

The center does not operate a commercial revenue model. Funding flows primarily from National Institutes of Health mechanisms — including COBRE (P20RR017670), multiple R01 grants (ES016336, ES012594, AG031184, ES013784), R25 education grants, F31/F32 training fellowships, and NIEHS-SURP support — supplemented by University of Montana institutional support and modest fee-for-service revenue from the three facility cores priced for both UM and non-UM users. Outreach to rural and Native American communities is delivered through partnerships with Salish Kootenai College and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Name

Center for Environmental Health Sciences

Legal name

Center for Environmental Health Sciences

Website

https://cehsweb.health.umt.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences is a University of Montana research center that investigates how environmental exposures cause human disease, operating three biomedical facility cores (inhalation, cytometry, histology) and graduate, postdoctoral, undergraduate, and K-12 training programs, funded primarily through NIH grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Health Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYHLAGAEAA

Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Central Labs & Clinical Diagnostics Services (Trial Support)

SECONDARYHLAJAFAA

Environmental Protection Agencies & Environmental Health Departments

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Environmental & Occupational Health Regulators

SECONDARYHLAGADAL

Environmental Monitoring & Cleanroom Testing (GMP)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services

Keywords

• Environmental health research
• Toxicology graduate program
• Inhalation exposure studies
• Biomedical research cores
• K-12 science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NIH Grant Funding: Primary funding from National Institutes of Health mechanisms including COBRE (P20RR017670), SEPA grants for K-12 education, NRSA fellowships, and NIEHS-SURP funding for summer research programs. Additional funding from foundations.
2. Donations: Accepts donations for three designated areas: Graduate Program Fund (supports PhD and Masters students), Faculty Fund (supports faculty research), and CEHS Innovation Fund (supports research and K-12 science education outreach).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences is an academic research center within The University of Montana that advances knowledge of environmental impacts on human health. It operates specialized facility cores (Inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology, Fluorescence Cytometry, and Molecular Histology and Fluorescence Imaging) providing state-of-the-art biomedical equipment and technical expertise to researchers, alongside graduate training, postdoctoral fellowships, and K-12 science education programs.

Product overview

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences is a research and education center at the University of Montana that operates as a unified portfolio of research facility cores and educational training programs. The core infrastructure includes three specialized facility cores (Inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology, Fluorescence Cytometry, and Molecular Histology and Fluorescence Imaging) that provide researchers with state-of-the-art biomedical equipment and technical expertise. The educational portfolio comprises a Toxicology Graduate Studies Program (Ph.D. and M.S. degrees), a Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), postdoctoral fellowship training, and a K-12 Science Education initiative. These components work together to advance understanding of environmental impacts on human health through research, training, and community education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toxicology Graduate Studies Program Graduate training program offering Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in molecular and cellular toxicology, with areas of emphasis including respiratory toxicology, nanotoxicology, immunotoxicology, and neurotoxicology. Targets prospective graduate students seeking advanced research training.
• Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Summer educational research experience for undergraduate students to attract and train researchers for careers in environmental health sciences, funded by NIEHS and Society of Toxicology. Targets college undergraduates nationally.
• Inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology Core State-of-the-art facility providing inhalation exposure technology, pulmonary function measurements, and general surgical procedures for studying airborne contaminants including asbestos, ozone, silica, woodsmoke, and engineered nanomaterials. Serves CEHS, UM, and extramural investigators on a fee-for-service basis.
• Fluorescence Cytometry Core Core facility providing fluorescence labeling instrumentation including Luminex, Attune NxT Flow Cytometer, and BD FACSAria for cell and tissue analysis. Serves UM and extramural researchers requiring advanced flow cytometry services.
• Molecular Histology and Fluorescence Imaging Core Fully equipped histology and imaging laboratory providing immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence support for neurobiology, environmental health, and biomolecular research. Located in the Skaggs Building.
• K-12 Science Education Program Environmental health science education program for K-12 students focused on water and air quality issues, funded by NIH SEPA grants, incorporating Native American perspectives and cross-curricular materials. Targets K-12 students and educators in rural Western communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% job placement rate for Toxicology Graduate Program graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salish Kootenai CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEHS has formed a partnership with Salish Kootenai College (SKC) in Pablo, Montana for environmental health science education. The partnership focuses on K-12 outreach, developing culturally appropriate materials for Native American students, and enhancing science literacy in rural Montana communities.
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to implement the Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program into seven Alaska Native villages. The partnership educates communities on indoor air quality and respiratory health, identifies community-specific air pollution issues, and develops intervention strategies.
• Rural Schools and Communities (Montana, Idaho, Alaska)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh school students in rural areas of Montana, Idaho, and Alaska collect indoor PM2.5 samples as part of the Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program, enhancing air pollution education while generating research data.
• Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located department within University of Montana's College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences. Faculty hold appointments in both CEHS and the department, providing graduate education in toxicology.
• Department of Chemistry, University of MontanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemistry department faculty participate in toxicology graduate training program, contributing expertise to molecular and cellular toxicology education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Research Triangle Institute (RTI International): Contract research organization that performs environmental health, exposure science, and toxicology research for federal clients—thematically related as a non-academic research services provider in the same domain.

Regional players

• Colorado State University - Center for Environmental Medicine: Regional peer in the Mountain West with overlapping environmental health, inhalation toxicology, and biomedical research interests, operating at larger scale but in the same geographic ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Johns Hopkins - Department of Environmental Health and Engineering: Top-tier environmental health and engineering department combining exposure science, toxicology, and engineering with NIH center funding—at much larger scale and broader scope than CEHS.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Department of Environmental Health: One of the largest and most established environmental health research departments globally, covering exposure assessment, toxicology, and risk assessment with significantly broader disciplinary scope and resources than CEHS.

Direct peers

• LSU Health Sciences Center - Center for Applied Environmental Health: University-based environmental health research center with shared focus on community-engaged environmental health research, NIH-funded training, and exposure assessment in underserved populations.
• Michigan State University - Institute for Integrative Toxicology: University-based toxicology institute with graduate training programs, NIH-funded research, and facility cores—structurally similar to CEHS with comparable lung/respiratory toxicology emphasis.
• University of Washington - Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences: University-based environmental health research department with NIH-funded P30 Center, graduate training programs, and facility cores covering exposure science, toxicology, and epidemiology—directly comparable academic center of larger scale.
• University of Cincinnati - Center for Environmental Genetics: NIEHS-funded P30 center with parallel focus on genetic susceptibility to environmental exposures, organized around facility cores and graduate training in a similar research-intensive model.
• University of Rochester Environmental Health Sciences Center: NIEHS P30-funded environmental health sciences center with comparable focus areas in pulmonary, neuro, and reproductive toxicology, organized similarly around facility cores and graduate training programs.
• Oregon State University - Environmental and Molecular Toxicology: University-based toxicology program with graduate training, NIH-funded research, and facility cores covering inhalation toxicology and nanotoxicology—regionally and structurally comparable to CEHS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CEHS.UM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cehs-um

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Environmental Health Sciences