Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Texas A&M University System Health Science Center received a $423,500 Project Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113), awarded May 22, 2026, with a completion date of May 21, 2028. The award supports a two-year research project investigating temperature-sensitive ion channels in platelets and their role in heat-induced cardiovascular disease. The research addresses critical occupational and public health concerns, particularly exertional heat stroke in on-duty firefighters and other populations exposed to extreme thermal conditions. The project will examine how real-world increases in core body temperature modulate platelet function and cardiovascular disease risk, filling a significant gap in the scientific literature by studying physiologically relevant temperature ranges rather than extreme laboratory conditions.

The research will deliver two primary products: (1) empirical findings on the effects of elevated core body temperature on platelet-mediated cardiovascular disease and (2) mechanistic understanding of how temperature modulates platelet function. This work directly supports the NIEHS mission to research how environmental exposures—in this case, thermal stress—affect biological systems and to translate that knowledge into prevention and therapeutic strategies for associated diseases. The findings will contribute to public health awareness of hyperthermia's negative effects and inform the development of clinical interventions for heat-related illnesses affecting vulnerable occupational populations.