Climate and Community Health for the Midwest and Appalachia

Center for Collaboration on Climate and Community for Health (C4Health)

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · NIH-11199008

This project looks at ways—like wearable sensors and more trees—to help outdoor workers, first responders, pregnant people, children, and older adults stay healthier during extreme heat, heavy storms, and floods in the Midwest and Appalachian regions.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI (nih funded)
Locations1 site (CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11199008 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

From my perspective as a local resident, the team uses wearable devices to monitor early body responses to heat and collects health measures such as heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, immune markers, and pregnancy outcomes. They focus on people with high heat exposure (outdoor workers and first responders) and vulnerable groups (pregnant people, young children, and older adults). The center also tests community-level changes like increasing tree canopy and green space to reduce heat and improve health. The program supports pilot studies and local training so the work can lead to future programs and funding.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who live or work in the Midwest or Appalachian areas with high heat exposure—such as outdoor workers, first responders, pregnant people, children under 11, and older adults—who are willing to wear sensors or provide health information.

Not a fit: People living outside the targeted Midwest/Appalachian region, those not exposed to extreme weather, or those unwilling to use wearable devices or provide samples may not benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce heat-related illness and improve heart, sleep, and maternal health through early monitoring and community-level cooling strategies.

How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies have shown promise using wearables or greening interventions, but combining physiologic monitoring, immune markers, and community-scale greening in one program is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.