UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute Opens New Lab to Advance Occupational Heat-Safety Research
The Korey Stringer Institute has launched a cutting-edge laboratory designed to simulate extreme environmental conditions and study how heat impacts workers across high-risk industries, supporting evidence-based prevention and safety protocols.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Nov 17, 2025
The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of Connecticut has inaugurated a new advanced laboratory dedicated to occupational heat-safety research. The facility allows controlled simulation of extreme conditions—including high temperatures, humidity, direct sunlight, and wind—to better understand how heat affects workers, not just athletes.
The lab’s design supports testing of real-world job tasks under thermal stress and aging or medically vulnerable workers, and facilitates research into wearable sensors, protective apparel, and work-rest strategies. As global temperatures rise and outdoor laborers face growing heat risk, the new lab positions KSI to lead investigations into prevention and productivity. Major sponsors and industry partners are collaborating to translate findings into actionable safety protocols for workplaces.
With such facilities still rare in the occupational health & safety sphere, the launch marks a meaningful step toward evidence-based heat-stress management in industrial, construction, and service-sector environments.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.