Heat and kidney health in restaurant workers
Official title: High Heat and Human Health: Heat Exposure in Restaurant Workers
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11440125 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests how hot working conditions in restaurants affect kidney function over a few days to understand a health risk for kitchen staff.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $467,507 |
| NIH project number | 1R21ES039011-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11440125 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Restaurant workers in the Southern US who experience hot indoor work conditions and have no contraindications to kidney function monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
Workers with no exposure to heat or those not willing to participate in short-term monitoring may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you work in a restaurant and are exposed to heat, this study will follow participants for three days to see how heat and cooling access relate to kidney function. Researchers will partner with local restaurants in the Southern US to collect health data and monitor work environments in both hot and cooler seasons. The aim is to learn how common indoor heat exposure may contribute to kidney problems and to identify signs early on. The study emphasizes practical findings that could guide better workplace heat control and health monitoring for workers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to better heat protections at work and earlier detection of heat-related kidney issues for restaurant workers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked outdoor heat exposure to kidney issues; this project expands to indoor workers and real-world restaurant settings, which is relatively novel but builds on existing evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Daniel Jackson — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Smith, Daniel Jackson
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.