Bloomington, Indiana – In an unassuming room deep within Indiana University’s School of Public Health-Bloomington, a powerful new tool has come online—one capable of replicating some of the harshest environmental conditions found on Earth. The university recently unveiled its newly constructed extreme environmental chamber, a state-of-the-art facility designed to safely study the physiological effects of both extreme heat and cold on the human body.
The chamber, which looks like a large, high-tech box from the outside, is anything but ordinary on the inside. It can simulate sweltering heat and bone-chilling cold in rapid succession, making it one of the few academic testing spaces of its kind in the United States—and potentially the only one capable of transitioning from more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to -40 Celsius in mere seconds.
“We think we may be the only people who have ever stepped from a room at over 120 degrees Fahrenheit to a room that was minus 40 in a matter of seconds,” said Zachary Schlader, associate professor of kinesiology at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington.
The chamber’s completion marks the beginning of a new era in environmental physiology research at IU. It was funded in large part by the U.S. Department of Defense, which sees the chamber as a vital resource for preparing soldiers and laborers for the increasing range of environments they may encounter—from scorching deserts to frigid Arctic zones.
Pushing the Limits of Temperature Science
Developed in partnership with Canadian engineering firm CANTROL, the chamber is unlike typical academic facilities. While most university-based temperature chambers can drop to -20 Celsius, IU’s chamber can double that depth, reaching -40 Celsius with sufficient airflow to allow multiple participants to be present at the same time.
“Most academic chambers only go down to minus 20 Celsius,” said Blair Johnson, another associate professor of kinesiology who works closely with Schlader. “Our chamber can reach minus 40 Celsius, and it’s also one of the largest chambers of its type. It has enough air exchange to allow multiple people to be in the chamber at a time. That’s important because it allows you to get more observers and study participants in the chamber. We can simulate everything from shoveling to medical activities and monitor participants’ responses to the cold.”
On the hot side of the chamber, the setup includes two treadmills and a computer monitoring station. The adjoining chamber, built for extreme cold, is left open to accommodate various activities and multiple participants, with wireless monitoring systems and safety measures embedded in every phase of the research process.
More Than Just Science—It’s Personal
While the technical specifications are impressive, the research conducted here is ultimately about people—how they survive, how they work, and how they stay safe in an increasingly volatile climate.
“Everyone remembers a time when they got too cold or too hot,” said Schlader. “What we study is relevant to every human; everyone looks up the weather because they want to be able to dress appropriately and protect themselves.”
That relatability underscores the significance of Schlader’s work, which focuses on understanding the physical stress that extreme temperatures place on the human body. And as global temperatures rise and weather extremes become more common, this research has never been more timely.
According to the National Weather Service, heat remains the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Vulnerable groups—especially older adults, infants, and outdoor workers—face increasing risks of heat-related illness and injury. These conditions don’t just threaten health; they also have economic consequences.
“People who work outside, such as construction or agricultural workers, are at risk for heat-related illnesses,” Schlader explained. “This is a public health issue, but it’s also an economic issue, in terms of absenteeism and a loss of productivity. Our studies — and what we can test in the new environmental chamber — identify ways to protect outdoor laborers and the general public from heat stress.”
Testing Real-World Solutions
Schlader’s research goes beyond observation—it’s about finding affordable, actionable strategies to protect lives. Working with the La Isla Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting workers from environmental hazards, he recently tested a program focused on rest, shade, and hydration protocols in the agricultural industry.
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The results were encouraging: for every dollar a company invested in the program, they earned $1.60 back in increased productivity and reduced health-related absences. It’s proof that science-based intervention can not only save lives but also deliver returns for businesses and communities.
From Sun to Snow
While Schlader focuses on heat, Johnson is looking in the opposite direction—toward extreme cold. The Department of Defense’s growing interest in Arctic operations was a driving force behind the chamber’s funding. The ability to simulate Arctic-like conditions is crucial for understanding how to protect military personnel operating in those harsh environments.
“This facility opens the door to new research opportunities for faculty and students at IU,” said IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold. “Even more, it benefits the Department of Defense by deepening our understanding of how people and technologies of all types respond when exposed to extreme temperatures. Projects like this provide impactful solutions to current and future problems we face in Indiana and the rest of the nation, which is central to much of our research at IU Bloomington.”
Johnson’s studies will help determine how cold affects performance, safety, and long-term health. Whether it’s soldiers deployed in northern climates or workers in industries like fishing or mining, the chamber provides a controlled space to explore what cold really does to the human body—and how to mitigate the dangers.
“There’s not a whole lot of academic work on the effects of cold on humans, especially at the temperatures we’re able to get to,” said Johnson. “We’re excited to make the most of this chamber’s potential on research for the military. But this could have a significant impact on fishing and mining industries in the Arctic as well.”
Safety Above All
Given the extreme conditions being simulated, safety protocols in the chamber are taken very seriously. Every test is supervised by multiple researchers, and participants are continuously monitored for physiological responses. On the cold side, where direct monitoring is more difficult due to sealed doors, participants ingest wireless sensors that transmit core body temperature data in real time.
“We never do studies alone, and we always have two research personnel for every one study subject,” Johnson said. “We also do constant physiological safety monitoring of subjects.”
These precautions ensure the chamber can be used for rigorous, long-duration testing without compromising the well-being of participants.
A Gateway for Future Research
As the chamber begins full operations, its impact is expected to extend beyond the walls of the School of Public Health. Students, faculty, and external partners will all have opportunities to use the space for innovative research projects. And thanks to ongoing support from donors and the university’s leadership, the chamber could soon become a central hub for climate resilience science.
Opportunities like these are made possible in part by generous donors to Indiana University. Supporters can help expand IU’s public health research by contributing to the Dean’s Research Fund at the School of Public Health-Bloomington.
In a world where climate extremes are becoming more frequent and more intense, facilities like IU’s environmental chamber are doing more than simulating temperature—they’re giving us the data and tools to survive it.
