HEARTH Newsletter
Issue 1, December 2025
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Welcome to our first newsletter
Welcome to our first newsletter
Welcome to the first newsletter of the HEARTH Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat. Over the past year we have brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and communities to understand how the transition to net zero can also protect health and reduce risks from extreme heat – especially for those living and working in vulnerable settings.
This newsletter highlights our launch activities, national visibility, advisory roles, and stakeholder engagement.
Happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year!
Professor Rajat Gupta
Director of HEARTH
In this issue:
About HEARTH
About HEARTH
HEARTH is a UKRI/NIHR-funded £7.4 million research hub, which aims to assess and realise the health co-benefits of the net zero transition and the reduction in health risks, associated with extreme heat for vulnerable communities, for whom evidence is lacking.
Led by Professor Rajat Gupta at Oxford Brookes University (OBU), HEARTH is delivered in partnership with University College London (UCL), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the University of Leeds (UoL), the University of Edinburgh (UoE), the University of Exeter (UoEx), Forest Research, the Greater London Authority, Oxfordshire County Council, and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. HEARTH also engages with 34 project partners across the public, private, and third sectors.
HEARTH Official Announcement - March 2025
HEARTH Official Announcement - March 2025
On 3 March 2025, HEARTH was officially announced by UK Research and Innovation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research as one of seven new research hubs funded to place health at the heart of the UK's net zero transition. HEARTH is the only hub funded to address the challenge area of extreme weather. This announcement marked the formal start of HEARTH research activities.
HEARTH Launch - May 2025
HEARTH Launch - May 2025
On 6 May 2025, we officially launched HEARTH at Oxford Brookes University.
The invite-only event brought together leading researchers, policymakers, and public health experts to explore how we can safeguard health and well-being in a warming world - particularly for those in vulnerable settings.
Highlights of the day included:
Keynote speeches from the UK Health Security Agency, the Medical Research Council, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Insightful presentations showcasing HEARTH’s interdisciplinary workstreams.
A powerful panel discussion focused on bridging research, health, and policy.
Professor Joe Tah (OBU) delivered the welcome address. Attendees also enjoyed lively networking and knowledge sharing over lunch. We extend our sincere thanks to the keynote speakers, panellists, and the wider HEARTH team for making this such a thought-provoking and energising event.
HEARTH Research Hub Showcased Across Major Conferences and Events
HEARTH Research Hub Showcased Across Major Conferences and Events
Throughout 2025, the HEARTH Research Hub has achieved significant visibility through invited presentations and keynote addresses at major conferences and professional events across the UK and also Japan.
Faculty of Public Health Heat Health Masterclass (Online, 20 March 2025)
Professors Mike Davies (UCL), Sari Kovats (LSHTM) and Rajat Gupta presented on drivers of heat risk in care settings and the effectiveness of interventions, drawing on the ClimaCare project and introducing the HEARTH project.UK Indoor Environment Group Conference (University of Leeds, 19 June 2025)
HEARTH Research Hub introduced to academic, policy, and industry audiences by Professors Anna Mavrogianni (UCL), Ruth Doherty (UoE), and Rajat Gupta.Building Performance Network Annual Symposium (London, 2 July 2025)
Professor Rajat Gupta delivered a keynote on HEARTH, net zero, health, and extreme heat.UKRI Clean Air Conference (National Physical Laboratory, 9 July 2025)
Professor Rajat Gupta presented a keynote on HEARTH and climate health challenges.Climate Change and Health Workshop (University of Exeter, 10 September 2025)
Professor Rajat Gupta presented HEARTH to UKRI climate and health principal investigators.
National Climate Impacts and Risks Meeting (Bristol, 18–19 September 2025)
Dr Carly Reddington (UoL) presented a poster on humid UK heatwaves and health risks.Oxford Energy Day (University of Oxford, 24 September 2025)
Professor Rajat Gupta presented the HEARTH initiative and the health implications of the energy transition.UCL Conference: Realising the Health Co-Benefits of the Transition to Net Zero (Building Centre, London, 8 October 2025)
Professors Mike Davies and Rajat Gupta gave a presentation on the HEARTH Hub.Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture (Oxford Brookes University, 30 October 2025)
Professor Rajat Gupta presented HEARTH research on climate resilience, net zero, and healthy buildings.Health Co-Benefits of Net Zero: Challenges, Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities (Elemental, London, 20 November 2025)
Professor Anna Mavrogianni presented HEARTH and other initiatives on health co-benefits of net zero.
HEARTH Presentation to the Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Tokyo, Japan, December 2025)
Professor Mike Davies presented on the HEARTH Research Hub to the Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).
HEARTH presented at UKRI’s Building a Green Future Conference (BaGF)
The HEARTH team (Dr Clare Heaviside (UCL), Dr Cheng Cui (UCL), Professor Gesche Huebner (UoEx), Dr Giandomenico Vurro (UCL), and Professor Rajat Gupta presented recently funded UKRI projects at the invite-only Building a Green Future conference held in Bristol on 5-6 November 2025.
The projects showcased included:
HEARTH - National Research Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat (£7.4 million).
INHABIT - Indoor Habitability during the Transition to Net Zero Housing Hub (£7.3 million).
ARCADE - Accelerating Climate Resilience in Vulnerable Homes (£2 million).
The conference brought together leads of major investments funded through UKRI’s £116 million Building a Green Future programme to share insights, build connections and learn from established projects. HEARTH contributed evidence and experience on designing buildings and neighbourhoods that are both low-carbon and resilient to extreme heat, with a strong emphasis on health equity.
Together, these presentations demonstrate the strong and growing impact of the HEARTH Research Hub across academic, professional, policy and industry communities, positioning the hub as a leading national contributor to the dialogue on climate resilience, healthy buildings and the transition to net zero.
HEARTH Influence Grows through Key External Appointments
HEARTH Influence Grows through Key External Appointments
The influence of the HEARTH Research Hub continues to grow through high profile appointments that place HEARTH research at the centre of national discussions on overheating, sustainable cooling and climate resilience.
Committee on Climate Change Project Steering Group
Professor Shakoor Hajat (LSHTM), Dr Clare Heaviside, and Professor Rajat Gupta are members of the project steering group for the study entitled Projections of Climate Risks to Health and Health Services from Extreme Heat. The project examines the impacts of extreme heat on human health and the healthcare system and forms part of the Fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment programme (CCRA4).
CIBSE Sustainable Cooling Working Group
Professors Mike Davies and Rajat Gupta have been invited to join the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Sustainable Cooling Working Group. This expert group brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to identify future challenges and opportunities related to extreme heat and sustainable cooling. The group focuses on delivering cooling that minimises energy use and carbon emissions while protecting health and wellbeing, drawing directly on evidence generated through HEARTH.
Future Homes Hub Part O Liaison Group
Professor Rajat Gupta has been invited to join the Future Homes Hub Part O Liaison Group, established with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Building Safety Regulator, in response to the call for evidence on Part O of the Building Regulations in the 2023 Future Homes Standard. The group is reviewing research and industry evidence on the practical application of overheating guidance and identifying gaps and priorities for future policy development.
NIHR Development Award Steering Group
Professors Shakoor Hajat and Rajat Gupta have been appointed to the steering group of a NIHR Development Award project: Heat resilient paediatric care: prioritising safe adaptations to overheating in children’s hospitals. The project aims to support the delivery of heat-resilient healthcare environments so that vulnerable young patients can heal and thrive despite rising temperatures, through inclusive adaptation strategies and energy-efficient cooling solutions.
These appointments demonstrate the growing recognition of HEARTH expertise and reinforce the hub’s role in shaping evidence-based policy, professional standards and practical responses to extreme heat and climate change.
HEARTH Stakeholder Workshops
HEARTH Stakeholder Workshops
Between September and November 2025, HEARTH ran four case-setting focused stakeholder workshops on homes, prisons, hospitals, and care settings. Collectively, the workshops brought together practitioners, policymakers, researchers and third-sector organisations from across the UK with the intent to:
Examine the prevalence of overheating in the settings and its health implications.
Present (net zero) strategies and measures for enhancing heat resilience.
Discuss specific tools and guidance for addressing overheating.
Explore research and collaborative opportunities in this field.
In detail:
Homes Workshop - 30 attendees, including nine speakers from Greater London Authority, Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), Edinburgh City Council, National Retrofit Hub, UK Passivhaus Trust, National Energy Foundation, Inkling, Public Health Scotland, LSHTM.
Prisons Workshop - 34 attendees, including 11 speakers from Ministry of Justice (MoJ), HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), Met Office and Mace, University of Surrey, LSHTM, OBU.
Hospitals Workshop - 30 attendees, including seven speakers from Greener NHS, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, LSHTM.
Care Settings Workshop - 33 attendees, including eight speakers from GLA, CIBSE, Architype, UCL, UoL, LSHTM.
Across all four workshops, discussions focused on:
How extreme heat is currently experienced in each setting.
Barriers and opportunities for low-carbon, climate-resilient design and operation.
Immediate and longer-term priorities for HEARTH research and policy engagement.
Outputs from these workshops are now informing HEARTH workplans and future engagement activities.
Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) PLANET Group meeting Aug-Nov 2025
Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) PLANET Group meeting Aug-Nov 2025
HEARTH’s Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) PLANET (Public Led And kNowledge Engagement Team) Group met twice between August and November 2025 to shape HEARTH Hub's approach to working with communities and people with lived experience of heat vulnerability.
The PLANET group is helping to:
Co-design research questions and methods that reflect real-world needs.
Ensure communication materials are clear, accessible and relevant.
Identify opportunities for community-based case studies and pilot projects.
The HEARTH Hub has been featured in the December 2025 newsletter of PLANET.
Stay in touch
Stay in touch
For more information about HEARTH, including upcoming events and opportunities to collaborate, please refer to the HEARTH website or contact the HEARTH team.
Contact:
Professor Rajat Gupta, Director of HEARTH
Oxford Brookes University,
Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
Email: rgupta@brookes.ac.uk
Website: www.hearth.ac.uk
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