ERS International Congress 2020: highlights from the Epidemiology and Environment Assembly

In this article, early career members of the Epidemiology and Environment Assembly European Respiratory Society (ERS) summarise a selection five sessions from ERS 2020 Virtual International Congress. The topics covered include risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases over life course, origins to occupational exposures in adulthood, interplay between these factors, including gene–environment interactions. Novel results were also presented on smoking prevention potential risks vaping. Finally, challenges opportunities epidemiological environmental research brought by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic major topic year's congress.