Montreal Heart Institute hosts first school on the effects of extreme heat on health

The Montreal Heart Institute is hosting its first school on the effects of extreme heat on health.

Heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense in Quebec, as elsewhere in the world, due to climate change.

To better understand this phenomenon and find ideas for adapting to this new reality, the first International School on Heat Adaptation is being held this week at the Montreal Heart Institute.

This initiative has brought together 20 master’s and doctoral students from 10 countries who will have the opportunity to interact with renowned experts from North America, Asia and Australia. The goal is to better understand the complex impacts of extreme heat on health and identify ways to adapt.

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Various topics will be addressed, including the physiological effects of heat, public adaptation policies and environmental inequalities. But it is the teaching methods that make this school unique.

The focus is on experiential learning and active, interdisciplinary teaching techniques. For example, students will also have the opportunity to experience heatwave conditions in a climate chamber that can reach temperatures of up to 70 C.

Daniel Gagnon, a researcher at the ÉPIC Centre of the Montreal Heart Institute, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Montreal and initiator of this project, is delighted that the program has been well received internationally.

He believes that this school has the potential to address the growing challenges posed by extreme heat, “one of the most deadly climate risks, but still poorly understood,” he said in a statement.

The International School on Heat Adaptation project was organized in collaboration with the Global Centre for Heat Adaptation, a partnership supported by the National Science Foundation in the United States and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 21, 2025.

The Canadian Press’s health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial decisions.