Strengthening society’s ability to manage and adapt to extreme heat
The Global Center for Heat Adaptation is a new NSF-funded project based at Arizona State University. Our team, which is made up of researchers and practitioners across North America and Australia, has a vision to strengthen society’s ability to manage and adapt to extreme heat across countries, climates and cultures, alongside training the next generation of global researchers and practitioners using thoughtful and innovative approaches. Data is being collected using HeatSuite, a remote platform gathering information on heat exposure and behavioral and physiological changes during everyday activities. This use-inspired research will produce real-world solutions to yield sustainable, effective cooling practices supporting clean energy in a changing climate, as well as improve the well-being of heat-vulnerable people by empowering communities, healthcare practitioners, government officials and tomorrow’s academics with new knowledge of heat adaptation strategies.
Current projects
The inaugural study with the HeatSuite system was completed in Montreal in 2023. A research publication is forthcoming on this work, led by Dr. Ravanelli. Since then, 2024 field campaigns have occurred again in Montreal, as well as the Phoenix Metropolitan area (both outlined below). In 2025, campaigns will occur in Colombia, South America and Sydney, Australia.
HeatSuite – Summer 2024
Decoding the Individual Heat Experience: Assessing Personal Heat Exposure, Adaptive Responses, and Non-Life-Threatening Health Outcomes
Phoenix
A field study in Phoenix using the HeatSuite launched May 2024 and continued through the summer season. This research aims to better understand heat exposure, response, and adaptation at an individual level in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Given that older people and/or those living in certain types of homes are also more vulnerable, there is a significant benefit in comprehending these fundamental differences better. Participants who have reliable access to shelter and are over 45 years old will receive small weather sensors — one for their home and another wearable version — and a smartwatch to collect data on indoor and outdoor temperatures, participant heart rate and skin temperature. The data collected also includes surveys and self-report smartwatch questionnaires.
Participants simply go about their days as usual, accompanied by their smartwatch and small weather sensors. This survey will help identify individuals who meet the eligibility criteria and are willing to participate in further research activities.
Montréal
As of May 2024, 28 older adults who reside in Montreal participated in a 4-month study conducted to measure the day-to-day physiological and behavioural responses during the summer months. All measurements were conducted within their home and did not require any laboratory visits.
Using HeatSuite, a multipoint remote data acquisition platform that captures indoor environmental conditions, participants continuously wore a fitness tracker, completed a daily sleep quality assessment and a short questionnaire 4 times a day to quantify their thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and thirst, recorded their oral temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure at rest 3 times a day (morning, midday, and evening).
Opportunities
Global School on Heat Adaptation in Montreal, Canada
– Summer 2025
The first-of-its-kind Global School on Heat Adaptation aims to engage students, stakeholders and researchers from various disciplines globally involved in understanding and reducing the impacts of extreme heat. With climate change and health issues presenting as pressing challenges facing tomorrow’s leaders, new models are needed to educate the future workforce. The school will use experiential learning and cross-disciplinary, active teaching techniques to foster the creation of more use-inspired, real-world solutions. The school is part of a National Science Foundation (USA) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada) funded Global Center for Adaptation. The Center’s vision is to strengthen society’s ability to manage and adapt to extreme heat across countries, climates and cultures and train the next generation of global researchers and practitioners using thoughtful and innovative approaches.
Date: July 21 to 25, 2025
Location: Centre ÉPIC of the Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
See full information and ways to attend here: Global School on Heat Adaptation.
Research team
Leadership
- PI: Jennifer Vanos
- Co-PIs: Ariane Middel, Melissa Guardaro, Zach Schlader (Indiana University)
- Canadian Co-PIs: Nick Ravanelli (Lakehead University), Daniel Gagnon (Université de Montréal)
- Australia Co-PIs: Ollie Jay (University of Sydney), Nicole Vargas (Australian National University)
Collaborators
- Mary Munoz Encinas (HeatReady, ASU)
- Jose-Benito Rosales Chavez (School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, ASU)
- Mary Wright (City of Phoenix)
- David Hondula (City of Phoenix)
- James Smallcombe (University of Sydney)
Students
- Gisel Guzman Echavarria (PhD student, ASU)
- Carson Metzler (Graduate student, ASU)
- KarLee Lefebvre (Graduate Student, Lakehead University)
- Kendra Rentz (REU student, Duke)
Personnel
- Angela Grobstein (Sr. Project Manager)
Associated Centers and Labs
- ASU Urban Climate Research Center
- ASU SHaDe Lab
- ASU Knowledge Exchange for Resilience
- ASU Human Biometeorology Lab
- Indiana University Environmental Physiology Laboratory
- University of Sydney Heat and Health Research Center
Partner organizations
- City of Phoenix Office of Heat Response & Mitigation
- AZ Heat Resilience Working Group
- Montreal Public Health
- Maricopa County Public Health
- NOAA
- Global Heat Health Information Network
- Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal
- Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce
- Resilient Sydney
Partner institutions
Australian National University
Centre Épic Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal
Indiana University
Lakehead University
The University of Sydney
Université de Montréal
Contact us
To learn more about our project or how to get involved, please contact our team.
Supported by the National Science Foundation under award number OISE- 2330587. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Supported by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRFR-2021-00247). The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee and/or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
