(Press-News.org) Jacksonville, Fla. – The University of North Florida announced that the Korey Stringer Institute at UNF (KSI at UNF) and Perry Weather will open a state-of-the-art heat exercise laboratory on campus in the spring.
KSI, the nation’s leading exertional heat stroke prevention institute, and Perry Weather, a leading weather safety platform, will provide lab-and-field-based research, education, advocacy and consultation through UNF to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for those who are exposed to the heat during professional or recreational activities.
Located at Hicks Hall, the lab will support student and faculty research at UNF and work with athletes, military and laborers in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Through this partnership, Perry Weather will provide critical infrastructure for the lab, deploying advanced heat monitoring instrumentation and software to deliver real-time environmental data that will support research initiatives.
Perry Weather's monitoring technology will enable KSI at UNF to correlate environmental conditions with physiological responses, creating evidence-based recommendations for work-to-rest ratios and heat mitigation strategies for athletes and laborers who are at high risk for exertional heat stress. Beyond research, the partners will provide on-site service evaluations to companies and policy makers to assess heat mitigation strategies, evaluate policies and suggest best practices.
“The Korey Stringer Institute is thrilled to partner with UNF and Perry Weather to expand our reach into Florida,” said Dr. Douglas Casa, KSI CEO. “Jacksonville is an ideal location for our work due to the year-long heat and large target population of athletes ranging from youth to professionals, military and laborers. Perry Weather will be an active partner, working to enhance our understanding of how making modifications to work-to-rest ratios based on environmental conditions can optimize productivity and safety. The ongoing support and commitment to our mission from leadership at Perry Weather and UNF including Athletics and the Brooks College of Health has been fantastic.”
Two faculty members have been hired onto the KSI at UNF team coming from the founding KSI site at the University of Connecticut (UConn), Dr. Michael Szymanski as director and assistant professor, and Dr. Gabrielle Brewer as the associate director and postdoctoral research associate. UNF student athletes, faculty and students across academic disciplines including athletic training, kinesiology, biomedical sciences and nutrition and dietetics will have access to the lab’s resources.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with the Korey Stringer Institute and the University of North Florida to help advance the science of heat safety,” said Colin Perry, Perry Weather CEO. “This is an important investment in the future of athlete and worker safety, supporting critical research that will shape how schools and organizations nationwide combat heat stress.”
Korey Stringer, a Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman, passed away from exertional heat stroke in 2001. His wife Kelci worked tirelessly to develop an exertional heat stroke prevention institute to honor her husband’s legacy. She joined forces with exertional heat stroke expert Douglas Casa, to make this dream a reality, and the institute came to fruition at the University of Connecticut in April 2010, with support from the NFL, Gatorade and others.
Perry Weather is a weather safety platform dedicated to preventing exertional heat stress and the impacts of severe weather for athletes and workers through integrated hardware and software. In partnership with organizations like the Korey Stringer Institute and the National Federation of State High School Associations, Perry Weather helps companies, school districts and organizations make smarter decisions around extreme heat, lightning and other weather-related risks.
For more information, email KSI@unf.edu.
About University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a nationally ranked university located on a beautiful 1,381-acre campus in Jacksonville surrounded by nature. Serving more 17,000 students, UNF features six colleges of distinction with innovative programs in high-demand fields. UNF students receive individualized attention from faculty and gain valuable real-world experience engaging with community partners. A top public university, UNF prepares students to make a difference in Florida and around the globe. Learn more at www.unf.edu.
About Korey Stringer Institute
The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at UConn is housed in the Department of Kinesiology within the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut (UConn). UConn's Department of Kinesiology has a strong tradition and reputation as one of the leading institutions studying health and safety issues for athletes and the physically active. The mission of KSI is to provide research, education, advocacy and consultation to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for the athlete, warfighter and laborer.
About Perry Weather
Perry Weather is the nation’s leading weather safety platform for athletics, helping schools, districts and organizations make smarter decisions around extreme heat, lightning and other weather-related risks. Partnered with organizations like the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and many others, Perry Weather combines real-time data, alerts and forecasting to keep athletes safe and maximize practice time.
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Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lauren K. Dillard, PhD, email dillalau@musc.edu.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.39371)
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