Threats to human health are becoming more frequent and serious as the impacts of climate change intensify and temperatures rise around the world.

Brock’s new Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Extreme Human Environments, Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel, is studying thermoregulation, the regulating of temperature under a variety of situations inside and outside the body.

“This funding announcement comes on the heels of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s seasonal summer outlook predicting higher-than-normal temperatures throughout most of the country,” says Brock Acting Vice-President, Research Michelle McGinn.

“As Canadians and others around the world face increasingly frequent heatwaves, Dr. Mündel’s focus on innovative solutions to regulate body temperature has become more important than ever,” she says. “His particular emphasis on women’s physiology and the experiences of vulnerable populations will ensure protection for a greater number of people.”

There needs to be better understanding of the body’s responses to extreme heat, yet most of the research on heat stress has been largely conducted on young adult males, says Mündel, who has shifted his research to focus on underrepresented populations.

“We actually don’t know how more than half the population regulates temperature because we ignore women, we ignore children, we ignore the elderly, we ignore the homeless,” he says.

The human body’s thermoregulation system includes the sweat glands, circulatory system, skin and a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus. To keep itself as close to 37 degrees C as possible, the body sweats, shivers and opens or restricts its blood flow, among other strategies.

During his seven-year term as Canada Research Chair, Mündel’s research will focus on three goals.

Firstly, he will examine the role estrogen and progesterone play in regulating the body’s temperature.

“There are all sorts of hormonal processes happening with women that could affect temperature regulation. Not just menstrual cycles, but contraceptive use, pregnancy and menopause,” he says.

Mündel will also explore how fasting affects thermoregulation. He says “virtually nothing” is known about that.

He notes it’s important to get that information to help protect pilgrims and others in hot countries who are fasting during religious holidays or events.

Finally, Mündel will explore ways to detect heat strain early and to protect the body against extreme heat, mostly in the form of wearable sensors that monitor temperature in real time. These sensors would be particularly relevant for firefighters, military personnel and others who work in hot environments, he says.

Mündel says he plans on teaming up with fellow Canada Research Chair Newman Sze at some point to examine molecular biomarkers in blood to determine who might be at greater risk of heat stroke or other vulnerabilities to the heat.

The research is timely, says Mündel, because as climate change progresses, “it’s not just people living in the desert or tropics who will be affected by extreme heat.”

“We’re continually breaking high temperature records and that’s very concerning,” he says. “Everyone is going to be facing some form of heat challenge, which could have serious impacts on health as well as performance and productivity, so we need to understand heat stress and try to mitigate it.”

Supporting Mündel’s research is a $205,000 grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

“The Government of Canada is deeply committed to mitigating the destructive impacts of climate change through its many policies and programs,” says Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre.

“Dr. Mündel’s research and expertise on human temperature regulation goes far in advancing our collective efforts to ensure the health of Canadians and our environment,” he says.

“The Canada Research Chairs program supports world-class researchers in the pursuit of knowledge that transforms society in this country and beyond,” says Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines. “Dr. Mündel is a strong example of how innovative research improves many lives.”

The federal government’s Canada Research Chairs program invests up to $311 million per year to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds. Chairholders are recognized to be national and international experts in the fields of engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.