Leading researcher shares work during Innovation Symposium.

Professor Ollie Jay of the University of Sydney was unequivocal as he pointed out how extreme heat has impacted and will impact our health.

“Climate change is here and climate change is now,” he said.

This was the theme he explored during his presentation at our District’s Sydney Innovation and Research Symposium.

Professor Jay is Director of the Heat and Health Research Incubator at the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.

He outlined how our planet’s rising temperatures are affecting our health at all stages of our lives; from increasing the risk of stillbirths and preterm births in pregnancy to causing the hospitalisation of older people during heatwaves.

“There are three primary ways we can get ill or die due to heat stress,” he said; these are heat stroke, cardiovascular collapse and renal collapse due to dehydration.

The effects of heat on health are likely to worsen, Professor Jay added, as our climate continues to warm in the next century but, he said, there is hope.

“This is the innovative bit,” he said.

Central to the work of the team at the Heat and Health Research Incubator is its climate chamber, which enables them to simulate heatwave conditions, including temperature, humidity, wind and sun.

In trial participants from childhood up to 90 years of age, the team measures how the human body responds to these conditions and tests different cooling strategies on the body.

The evidence they are gathering, said Professor Jay, should influence how public health leaders and policymakers respond to heatwaves in the future.

“It’s not too late, the issue is trying to develop as much evidence as possible to compel people to act,” he said.

Their efforts are beginning to pay off, he continued.

The research has been picked up by partners around the globe, including the World Health Organisation, who are helping to share their findings.

What’s more, the Heat and Health Research Incubator is now driving another innovation as part of a new project with Google.

The team has partnered with the tech giant on its new extreme heat alerts, which will automatically prompt device users on cooling actions developed from the research at USYD.

“This is very exciting because it gives us the opportunity to ensure we’re getting the information to as many people as possible worldwide,” she said.

Professor Jay was one of dozens of speakers who shared their work on innovation in health during day one of the Innovation Symposium.

To learn more, please visit the website: https://slhd.health.nsw.gov.au/innovation-week