JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida has officially opened the Perry Weather Heat Lab at UNF’s Korey Stringer Institute, a new facility dedicated to researching how extreme heat affects the human body — and how to prevent it from turning deadly.
The lab’s mission is posted directly on its wall: “Striving toward zero heat-related deaths.”
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. The CDC reports that body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes during a heat stroke episode — and without emergency treatment, it can cause permanent disability or death. The CDC also reports roughly 600 people die from heat stroke each year.
The Perry Weather Heat Lab is designed to advance the science of thermoregulation, performance, health and safety through controlled environmental testing.
The Korey Stringer Institute was founded in 2010 at the University of Connecticut by Kelci Stringer, following the death of her husband — NFL Pro Bowl offensive lineman Korey Stringer, who collapsed during training camp and died of exertional heat stroke.
Since its founding, KSI has spent 16 years producing the research, policies and protocols that have reshaped how sports organizations, the military and employers manage heat risk.
The Perry Weather Heat Lab at UNF is led by Dr. Michael Szymanski and Dr. Gabrielle Brewer. Their work spans a range of methodologies, including gut microbiome analysis, nutritional supplementation and wearable technology validation. Brewer and Szymanski are also partnering with UNF Army ROTC cadets on research with an emphasis on sex differences in thermoregulation.
The lab’s findings are expected to inform heat safety protocols across a broad range of groups — from athletes and football linemen to police officers, military servicemembers and Jacksonville-area employers.