Personalized heat-risk study to protect firefighters and seniors
Official title: Research Project-1
Funded at University of Cincinnati · NIH-11415909 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Cincinnati-area research project will look at how extreme heat affects firefighters and elderly residents, using wearable sensors and simple tests to understand who stays healthiest during heat exposure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Cincinnati NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $411,860 |
| NIH project number | 5P20ES036792-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415909 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants include firefighters involved in live burn training and elderly individuals living in high-heat communities.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to extreme heat or not fitting the firefighter or elderly categories may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on people living in Cincinnati and similar regions who are often exposed to high indoor and outdoor temperatures. Researchers will collect data from 24 firefighters during live burn training and from elderly participants in the community, using wearable sensors, self-reported surveys, and occasional blood and nasal samples. By tracking body temperature, heart rate, and other biometric signals, the study aims to identify how heat stress varies between individuals and how that information could guide personalized safety measures. The effort blends real-world heat exposure with biomarker and neurological assessments to understand recovery and risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to personalized heat-risk guidelines and interventions for high-risk workers and older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies have shown that biometrics and wearable data can reflect heat stress, supporting the potential usefulness of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leikauf, George Douglas — University of Cincinnati
- Study coordinator: Leikauf, George Douglas
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.