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French American Innovation Days: Heat & Health

Jan. 27, 2026
Rachel Wu
SWEHSC T32 fellow Rietta Wagoner, PhD, presents their research on heat exposure to agricultural workers in Sonora, Mexico.

French American Innovation Days: Heat & Health 

SWEHSC T32 fellow Rietta Wagoner, PhD, presents their research on heat exposure to agricultural workers in Sonora, Mexico.

Figure 1. SWEHSC T32 fellow Rietta Wagoner, PhD, presents their research on heat exposure to agricultural workers in Sonora, Mexico.  

 

On November 12th and 13th, 2025, the French American Innovation Days: Heat & Health 

Symposium was held at the University of Arizona. The symposium brought French and American experts together from government and research institutions, including the FranceArizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges, the Southwest Center for Environmental Health Sciences (SWEHSC), the Southwest Center on Research for Climate and Resilience (SCORCH), the International Research Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Global Environmental Studies, the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles. Through a series of panel discussions and lightning talks, participants shared knowledge, fostered new collaborations, and explored innovative approaches at the intersection of heat and health. 

The first day of the symposium featured a keynote address by Maxime Millefert, Counsellor and Head of the Ecology, Sustainable Development, Energy, and Transport Division at the Embassy of France in the United States. This was followed by a session of lightning talks and a panel discussion titled “Geographies of Heat and Health,” moderated by Heidi Brown, PhD. Presentations in this session examined the impacts of extreme heat across diverse geographic regions worldwide, as well as within specific environments such as buildings and green spaces. 

The second day included two additional lightning talks and panel discussion sessions. 

The first session, titled “High Exposure Populations” and moderated by SWEHSC member 

Mona Arora, PhD, featured presentations by SWEHSC members Melissa Furlong, PhD, Joseph Hoover, PhD, T32 fellow Rietta Wagoner, and Paxton Sample, a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Nathan Cherrington, PhD. This session focused on populations particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat, including agricultural workers and pregnant individuals. The second session, titled “Innovation for Solutions”, was moderated by Jan Matas, director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. The presentations during this session highlighted ongoing research and technological innovations aimed at mitigating the effects of extreme heat. 

 

Full List of Presenters: 

  1. Maxime Millefert - The French National Strategy on Adaptation: A Focus on Heat
  2. David Hondula, PhD - Spatial Guidance for Heat Adaptation: Perspectives from City Hall
  3. Anne-Lise Boyer, PhD - Innovations in Global Heat Governance: Exploring the Role of Chief
  4. Rémy Slama, PhD - Combined Impact of Climate Change and Decreases in Particulate Matter Levels at the Urban Scale
  5. Candide Lissak, PhD - From Natural Hazards to Health Risks: Integrating Human Health into Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
  6. Huaqing Wang, PhD - The Geography of Green and Heat: Linking Urban Vegetation to Heat-Related Health Outcomes
  7. Eytan Levi - Climate Realignment: Adapting Existing Buildings to Urban Heat
  8. Rietta Wagoner, PhD - Environmental & Occupational Exposures in a Changing Climate: Insights from the U.S.-Mexico Border
  9. Melissa Furlong, PhD - Prenatal Heat Exposure and Infant Health
  10. Paxton Sample - Impacts of Heat Strain on ADME Function
  11. Tarik Benmarhnia, PhD - Extreme Heat and Population Health: Advancing Environmental Justice in a Changing Climate
  12. Joseph Hoover, PhD - Health, Health, and Community Resilience
  13. Alice Plane (Presenter)
  14. Tom Dang - National Weather Service: Science & Service
  15. Basile Chaix - Heat & Health: The Overlooked Impact of Indoor Heat
  16. Auline Rodler, PhD - How the urban context influences local microclimates and indoor thermal conditions: assessing climate adaptation measures
  17. Amelia Gallitano, MD, PhD - How Can the Medical School Innovate to Reduce Heat Related Illnesses and Deaths?
  18. Sameer Halai - “Connecting the dots to drive outcomes”: Combining Alerts, Public Education, and Resources Across Multiple Languages and Communication Channels
  19. Laetitia Jubin, PhD - Saint-Gobain: 360 years of material innovation 
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