Tadiri Elisabeth Pernice, MSc

PhD Thesis: «Extreme humid heat and human health», Supervisor: Ana Vicedo

My current research focuses on the health impacts of extreme humid heat on high-risk populations. As part of the ACTUAL project, my PhD work aims to comprehensively assess the impact of humid heat on health among the general adult population in Basse Santa Su, The Gambia. This work employs an integrated approach consisting of high-resolution spatiotemporal estimates of humid heat, and personal monitoring of exposure to humid heat and heat stress. We will quantify the levels of heat strain experienced by the population and explore how ambient heat stress affects physical and mental well-being, sleep, and thermal sensation, comfort, and experience, with a specific focus on disentangling the role of humidity in physiological heat strain.

Additionally, we will estimate air pollution and environmental noise exposure and examine the individual and combined effects of environmental heat stress, air pollution, and noise on measured physiological heat strain and sleep quality.