About the project
This project aims to investigate how individual differences in human physiology, psychology, and culture impact behaviour and thermal resilience to heat stress at rest and during exercise. This fundamental knowledge will guide technological innovation in the design of user-centered sportwear with industry partner Lululemon athletica inc.
Hot weather and heat extremes limit people’s work and exercise capacity, with consequent negative effects on individuals’ health, comfort, and productivity. The proposed PhD project focuses on an unmet need. It aims to study how differences in human physiology, psychology, and culture affect behavior and the body's ability to handle heat. This will be studied at rest and during exercise.
This knowledge will guide technological innovation. It will shape the design of user-centered sportwear that is engineered to meet the physiological, behavioural, and cultural needs of different individuals, to support active and healthy lifestyles at a time of climate change.
To achieve this aim, the PhD project will incorporate novel interdisciplinary research at the intersection of:
- human thermal physiology and climate health (Dr Davide Filingeri)
- fashion and dress behaviour (Prof Joanne Turney)
- apparel R&D (Lululemon athletica inc.)
Explore THERMOSENSELAB and the Skin Sensing Research Group for more information.
The studentship is jointly sponsored by the Institute for Life Sciences (University of Southampton) and Lululemon athletica inc.
The successful candidate will have extensive opportunities to collaborate with Lululemon athletica inc. and they will benefit from a secondment period at the manufacturer’s R&D laboratories in Canada.
