Robert Meade is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He earned his doctoral degree in thermal physiology from the Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit at the University of Ottawa and holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Rob’s research focuses on understanding the physiological impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. He pioneered laboratory-based heat wave simulation trials to evaluate personal cooling strategies, including cooling centers, foot immersion, and electric fans. His work has been featured in leading journals such as JAMA and The Lancet Planetary Health.
In 2024, Rob joined the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability‘s Climate Adaptation in South Asia research cluster to develop and evaluate community-led heat adaptation strategies in South Asia. He collaborates with Professors Satchit Balsari and Caroline Buckee on the Community Heat Adaptation and Treatment Strategies (CommunityHATS) study, which tracks the heat and humidity exposures of working women in informal economies over 13 months. This research provides crucial insights into how extreme temperatures and humidity are experienced in real-world settings, informing strategies to mitigate heat-related health risks.