Extreme heat and heatwaves are a major and growing threat to health in Australia, acting both as a direct cause of illness and death and as an exacerbator of existing health conditions. Risks are unevenly distributed, shaped by exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, with heightened impacts for multiple at‑risk populations. These risks are further compounded when heat coincides with other events such as bushfires, droughts, severe storms, and infrastructure failures, including power outages.
This HEAL‑funded project brings together established and emerging researchers, alongside policy and practice partners from across Australia, to strengthen national research capacity and accelerate heat–health action. Drawing on multiple HEAL research themes, including urban health, at‑risk populations, and rural and remote health, the project recognises extreme heat as a cross‑cutting, systems‑level challenge requiring coordinated, multidisciplinary responses. By connecting research, policy, practice, and community perspectives, this project supports more strategic use of research effort, strengthen national leadership in heat–health research, and lay the groundwork for coordinated, equitable, and impactful heat–health action across Australia.
Project Team
Principal Investigator, Griffith University
SRA & Project Coordinator, Griffith University
Co-Investigator University of Tasmania
Co-Investigator University of Sydney
Co-Investigator University of Melbourne
Co-Investigator Menzies School of Health Research
Co-Investigator RMIT
Co-Investigator Griffith University
