Researchers convened on May 14, 2025, at the Wharton Center for the interdisciplinary research forum Heat Stress: Challenges to Human and Animal Health, on the impacts of heat stressors on people, plants, and animals.

In 2024, a planning committee was formed to develop an event to explore the impacts of heat in research. The committee quickly discovered how broad of a topic this could be. 

High temperatures adversely impact humans, plants, and animals in many ways. 

Barrak Alahmad, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, provided the plenary presentation, “Heat, Health, and the Future of Outdoor Work,” highlighting his research on extreme temperatures with a special focus on the health of migrant workers as a vulnerable subpopulation. The effects of heat on the body, particularly the heart and kidneys, were emphasized as areas of concern for people working in these extreme conditions, especially for long periods of time. Effective solutions were presented that include scheduled breaks, portable shade tents, hydration, and proper sanitation. 

After the plenary session, four flash talks were presented. 

Continuing with the theme of heat stress on the human body, Shailendra Sharma, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, presented his flash talk, going into more detail about the effects of heat on the kidneys. When workers are exposed to extreme heat on a regular basis, they may develop chronic kidney disease when there is no other explainable cause for the disease. While Dr. Sharma’s research emphasized these issues in Nepal and Qatar, it was noted that U.S. heat-related acute kidney injury cases identified by OSHA are rising. 

Laurel Harduar Morano, from the Division of Occupational Medicine in the College of Human Medicine, presented information on heat and health specific to Michigan. Using CDC data, Dr. Harduar Morano noted that from 2020-2023, there were 50 deaths in Michigan with a heat-related illness code, with 72% of these coded as heatstroke, three-quarters were male, and 44% were between the ages of 25-64. In addition to heatstroke, other chronic conditions can be exacerbated by heat: diabetes, heart disease, COPD, asthma, kidney disease, and more. 

Felicia Wu, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor and University Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Food Science & Human Nutrition and Agricultural, Food, & Resource Economics, provided a perspective on how rising temperatures can threaten food safety. Pathogens, toxins, and harmful chemicals threaten food safety, and for this presentation, Wu focused on Aflatoxin in U.S. corn. Aflatoxin thrives in warm climates and poses serious health risks for humans, including liver cancer, childhood stunting, and immune system dysfunction. In addition to health risks, crop failures can result due to these pathogens and toxins in the plants, affecting both farmers and the economy. According to Wu’s climate model, these risks associated with Aflatoxin will spread to Midwest corn production between 2031 to 2040.

Janeen Salak-Johnson, Meadow Brook Chair in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, presented information that demonstrates how heat stress can carry over to animal offspring and have long-term effects. Through her research, Salak-Johnson determined cortisol levels in calves were positively correlated with those of their dams, demonstrating the carryover effects of heat stress on offspring. As temperatures rise, health-related issues increase and productivity drops, creating problems for both animal and economic well-being. Extreme temperatures and humidity create significant stress and welfare issues, affecting reproduction, body weight and growth, immune function, and more. 

The presentations were followed by a Q&A discussion and networking time. Participants connected and furthered the conversation that started in the presentations.