My name is Arlene Oetomo: ar-LEEN  OO-tow-mow (“oe” is pronounced like “oo” in “loose”).

I'm exploring how Canadians perceive risk to heatwaves and receive information about heatwaves, and using smart thermostats to monitor indoor temperatures and collect data to understand better how people cope with extreme heat.

We deployed sensors in low-income settings as these populations are unlikely to have smart thermostats. Working with local community housing partners, regional health authorities, our goal was to provide insights on indoor temperatures to improve our heat health warning systems.

Visit the indoor temperature study website to learn more about the project at the Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab.

By leveraging everyday innovations available in the home, we can improve society, reduce health disparities, and enable real-time data-driven decision making, and informed policy development.

Visit my Google Scholar page here.

Banner image: Comet Neowise 2020 by Arlene Oetomo