Heat and kidney injury: how heat exposure in daily life affects kidney health
Official title: Heat and Acute Kidney Injury: A Detailed Assessment using Electronic Medical Records and High-Resolution Exposure Modeling
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11396997 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Emory will look at how hot weather and heat exposure relate to sudden kidney injury and why some cases happen outside hospitals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $440,142 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK133650-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396997 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with or at risk for AKI who have recent hospital or ED encounters and whose health records can be linked to environmental heat data.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without AKI or without access to linked health and environmental data may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will use electronic medical records and detailed heat exposure data to examine how high temperatures influence the risk and severity of acute kidney injury. The project aims to move beyond simple diagnosis codes to identify true AKI cases and understand how exposure, environment, and patient context interact. This could help doctors recognize at-risk people early and inform strategies to prevent AKI related to heat. The study builds on existing health data to better capture real-world exposure and outcomes in communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to better prevention and early warning for AKI during hot conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show associations between heat and ED visits for AKI, but many used crude or imperfect AKI identification methods.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ebelt, Stefanie — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Ebelt, Stefanie
Related research
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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.