ICARUS

International Cooperation for the Advancement of Research on the Underlying System of Human Thermoregulation

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

It is beyond any doubt that environmental heat affects tremendously people’s physiological functioning and, in turn, their psychological, social and cultural well being. Classic heat illness and death are major public health issues during exposure to heat stress, particularly for infants, individuals with cardiovascular and respiratory disease and the elderly. The current proposal addresses several mechanisms that may explain the sequence of events leading to heat stroke and death and will improve the existing preventive strategies designed to mitigate heat-induced morbidity and mortality. The objective of the ICARUS joint exchange programme is to foster the development of a multi-national centre of excellence for environmental physiology through balanced exchanges of research staff between eminent European-based research entities and an internationally-renowned research centre based in a third country. The beneficiaries include the Institute Jozef Stefan (IJS) in Slovenia, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in The Netherlands, and the Centre for Research and Technology Thessaly (CRT) in Greece. The partner is the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa. In this light, ICARUS fits perfectly within the scope of IRSES which aims in establishing long-term research cooperations through coordinated joint programmes of balanced research staff exchanges in thematic areas that are relevant to the European population. Moreover, the participants’ experience and specialisation in environmental physiology and particularly in research related to environmental heat exposure as well as their extensive infrastructures available will provide the level of quality required to transform the ICARUS joint exchange programme into a multi-national centre of excellence for environmental physiology.

Introduzione (Teaser)

The EU is supporting an important collaborative research programme to improve understanding of temperature regulation mechanisms. Outcomes will lead to more effective prevention of heat stroke and mortality.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Periods of excessively high temperatures can induce heat stroke and death in vulnerable populations including infants, the elderly and individuals with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Understanding the underlying mechanisms better can lead to improved mitigation strategies. A joint exchange programme fostering development of a multi-national centre of excellence in environmental physiology is making important progress with EU support of the project ICARUS.

Eminent research centres in Slovenia, the Netherlands, Greece and South Africa are working together to create long-term collaborations on environmental heat exposure to protect public health. Joint research is investigating thermal and non-thermal factors affecting neuronal mechanisms of temperature regulation to improve existing neuronal models. In addition, body heat balance and perspiration rate is being assessed during successive exercise sessions using simultaneous whole-body and indirect calorimetry.

Extended training visits are exploiting the diverse specialisation of partners to enable the application of new techniques and effective utilisation of existing facilities. Three focused joint workshops as well as various seminars provide structured environments for knowledge and information exchange and accelerated learning. Networking is facilitating efficient sharing of data and other common resources.

Morbidity and mortality of vulnerable populations during periods of excessive temperatures is a pressing problem. This is a major concern as we are faced with rising temperatures and global climate change. ICARUS is conducting important collaborative research into mechanisms of temperature regulation and heat stroke to improve preventive strategies for the benefit of society.