Faculty member works to spread word about heat-related illness

A College of Education faculty member is part of a panel of experts working to increase the awareness of exertional heat stroke.

Bud Cooper, clinical associate professor in the department of kinesiology, is one of several professionals behind The Heat Factor, a new website dedicated to sharing information, prevention and treatment of this severe form of heat-related illness. The website launched after Cooper, Brooke de Lench, founding executive director of MomsTeam Institute, and sports medicine physician Dr. Yvette Rooks chaired a panel of experts earlier this year focused on the issue.

The topic gets a lot of attention from the sports world, particularly when team practices begin amid the summer heat. But other populations and professions are at risk for this extreme form of illness, including members of the military and outdoor laborers.

The bottom line, according to Cooper and the other members of the Exertional Heat Stroke Working Group, which formed as a result of the panel earlier this year, is that it can happen to anyone, no matter their age or physical ability.

As part of his role on the working group, Cooper wrote a consensus statement to address exertional heat stroke. The statement, which was signed by the 16 members of the panel that met earlier this year, also aims to raise awareness of this deadly condition.

The working group and website, theheatfactor.com, are sponsored by Eagle Pharmaceuticals. In the coming months, the Exertional Heat Stroke Working Group will continue to work on raising awareness on a national scale, encourage better guidelines and policies to keep people safe and identify gaps in research.

For more information, visit www.theheatfactor.com.