Journals
Voice of the Editor
Professor Damian M. Bailey, Editor-in-Chief, Experimental Physiology
“Thermal physiology is moving from a niche specialist field to a central pillar of health science and policy. We, as physiologists, are uniquely equipped to lead this transformation — bridging experimental insight with clinical application and societal relevance.”
Professor Damian M. Bailey
As physiologists, we find ourselves at the frontline of the greatest health challenge of our time: the climate crisis. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased Earth’s temperature by over 1.5°C and driven sea levels up by more than 24cm since the start of the 20th century. The year 2024 was the warmest on record — and the last ten years have each been among the hottest ever observed. Climate projections warn that global surface temperatures could rise by between 1.5°C and 5.5°C by 2100, with sea levels climbing as much as 1.3m.
These are not abstract statistics. The effects are physiological — manifesting in every tissue, system, and society. Climate change is altering weather patterns, intensifying droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and floods, and disrupting global food and water systems. Infectious diseases are spreading to new regions, and non-communicable diseases are worsening as air quality declines and heat exposure rises. The uncertainty, combined with perceived inaction from governments, is fuelling ‘eco-anxiety’, especially in young people.
As physiologists, we know that the limits of human adaptation are biological as much as behavioural. The body’s tolerance to heat, cold, dehydration, and environmental stress ultimately defines the boundaries of survival. Understanding these boundaries — and how they shift under chronic climate stress — is no longer just an academic pursuit. It is a public health imperative. We must act to secure a net-zero world that supports 10 billion healthy, safe, and climate-resilient lives by 2050.
Data to duty: Physiologists at the frontline
Our discipline is already playing a pivotal role. The Physiological Society’s report ‘Red Alert: Developing a Human-centred National Heat Resilience Strategy’, produced jointly with the Faculty of Public Health, sets out a roadmap for improving national preparedness for rising temperatures. I was proud to serve on the steering committee and to help launch the report at the Houses of Parliament on 20 November 2023.
The report recommends establishing a Heat Adaptation Research Exchange Taskforce, chaired by the Cabinet Office, to accelerate the translation of research into policy. This taskforce would prioritise those most at risk — older adults, pregnant women, individuals with pre-existing conditions, and those on prescription medications — and fill critical gaps in our understanding of human heat vulnerability. Our collective aim is clear: strengthen the evidence base, guide investment into mechanistic and applied thermal physiology, and ensure communities can benefit from science-driven resilience strategies.
Turning up the heat: Science meets survival
This year continued that momentum. The summer of 2025 brought two landmark events for our community and the Physiological Society in general: the Global Climate and Health Summit in London, and the two-day meeting on Thermal Physiology in Health and Disease: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications. Together they underscored a simple, urgent truth — as the planet warms, understanding how the human body responds to heat is not a niche interest but a global necessity.
At the Global Climate and Health Summit, keynote speakers including Kerry McCarthy MP, the UK Government’s Minister for Climate Change, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, the Zimbabwe Government’s Minister of Health and Child care and Sir Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization collectively framed climate change not as a distant prospect but as a present danger already harming health. Physiologists took centre stage in these discussions — from explaining the mechanisms of heat stress, air pollution and nutrition (spearheaded by the policy team in conjunction with the Wellcome Trust) to exploring how environmental exposures trigger metabolic and cardiovascular strain. As Sir Jeremy reminded delegates, adaptation and mitigation both depend on human biology: if people cannot survive the transition, no policy or engineering solution will succeed.
The symposium on Thermal Physiology in Health and Disease: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications showcased how carefully applied thermal stress can improve health in ways akin to physical activity — enhancing cardiovascular and metabolic function, improving circulation, and potentially serving as an adjunct therapy in chronic disease. Yet, as we discussed, these same thermal exposures can also pose risks if misapplied. A better mechanistic understanding of how heat and cold affect physiology is therefore essential — not only to harness their therapeutic potential but to protect those exercising, working, or living in extreme conditions. Our free eBook on Thermal Physiology in Health and Disease, jointly curated from Experimental Physiology and The Journal of Physiology, captures this duality perfectly: thermal stress is both a hazard and a healing tool.
Beyond the lab: Communicating heat and humanity
We’ve had the personal privilege — and responsibility — of communicating this science beyond academia. Our collaboration with the BBC on ‘‘Heatwave: How hot is too hot for the human body?’ and ‘Cold weather: What does an unheated room do to your body?‘ brought the science of thermoregulation to millions of readers. Similarly, our work with CNN on ‘Heat is testing the limits of human survivability‘ helped contextualise physiological thresholds during record-breaking global heat events, with a specific focus on the ‘forgotten sister’, the human brain.
Such outreach is vital. It demonstrates how physiology underpins real-world understanding of safety, policy, and adaptation. Yet even those deeply familiar with thermal physiology are not immune to its risks. The tragic and untimely death of Dr Michael Mosley — described by the coroner as most likely attributable to heatstroke — is a sobering reminder that knowledge alone does not guarantee protection. It reinforces why our physiology must inform practical, accessible guidance for all.
Looking forward: Thermal resilience through physiology
As we look to the future, several priorities stand out. First, we must deepen our mechanistic understanding of how thermal stress interacts with metabolic, cardiopulmonary, and neurological systems across diverse populations. Second, the design of thermal interventions — whether for therapy, sport, or occupational safety — must incorporate individual variability, environmental context, and careful risk-benefit assessment. Third, we must integrate physiological knowledge into public health, policy, and engineering frameworks, ensuring that our insights translate into resilient infrastructure and equitable health outcomes.
This is more than a research agenda; it signals a cultural shift. Thermal physiology is moving from a niche specialist field to a central pillar of health science and policy. We, as physiologists, are uniquely equipped to lead this transformation — bridging experimental insight with clinical application and societal relevance. And so, as winter rapidly approaches, it’s fitting that we reflect on this year’s progress — from global summits to laboratory breakthroughs, from public engagement to policy influence. Our message is consistent: thermal physiology matters more than ever. The study of how we generate, lose, and regulate heat continues to resonate beyond the laboratory; it defines our species’ capacity to thrive on a warming planet.
A final thought
Physiology has always been the science of life in context — how the body responds to the environment that sustains it. As that environment changes, so too must our understanding, our communication, and our action. By bringing together discovery, compassion, and advocacy, physiologists can help ensure that humanity not only survives the climate crisis but adapts and flourishes within it.
Find out more about Experimental Physiology and the journal’s latest call for papers.
