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The Human & Environmental Physiology Research Facility
Overview
The HEPRU research facility is located in Montpetit Hall on the vibrant downtown campus of the University of Ottawa. The research unit houses state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with environmental chambers designed to simulate real-world conditions.
Additionally, the world’s only functioning direct human air calorimeter is housed within the HEPRU. This unit provides a gold standard method for measuring whole-body heat exchange in a wide-range of temperature and humidity conditions.
The HEPRU research facilities provides a unique environment with an unparalleled capacity to conduct comprehensive research programs dedicated to the evaluation of the human response to different environments during the performance of leisure, sport or work related activities in people of all ages as well as those with medical health conditions.
Read more about the facilities at HEPRU and browse our image gallery below.
Laboratory 1
The research facility is equipped with three stand alone environmental temperature and humidity controlled chambers. The smallest chamber (8’ wide x 10’ long) is used for training and adaptations studies to extreme heat (air temperature >50°C).
A second large chamber (14’ wide x 16’ long) permits the conduct of studies within a wider range of ambient environmental conditions (i.e., -20°C to +50ºC and 15 to 85% RH). This chamber also houses the direct calorimeter. This innovative technology provides a gold-standard method to perform very precise measurements of the heat dissipated by the human body. By obtaining minute-to-minute measurements of the rate of evaporative and dry heat exchange combined with the measurement of the rate of heat production as assessed by indirect calorimetry, it is possible to obtain an accurate measurement of the rate of body heat storage. The chamber is fully equipped with high precision monitoring units enabling the simultaneous measurement of physiological parameters while the participant is in the calorimeter.
Laboratory 2
A third larger open space multiple-use environmental chamber (16’ wide x 19’ long) is equipped with a powerful hypoxic technology permitting the independent manipulation of altitude, temperature and humidity to simulate a wide-range of real-life conditions. All chambers are fully equipped with various ergometers (treadmill, semi-recumbent and upright cycle ergometers) and physiological monitoring systems to assess metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, thermoregulatory and other responses.
Laboratory 3
In addition to the various environmental chamber, there are two open space laboratories. The larger (20’ wide x 25’ long) space is equipped with a medical bed, exercise ergometers, physiological monitoring systems, whole-body heating/cooling systems (water perfusion suits with temperature controlled water baths), and other systems. This space is used primarily to conduct studies requiring invasive procedures performed under different thermal states during rest and/or exercise. This includes intradermal microdialysis (for the administration of pharmacological agents to assess the mechanisms governing the regulation of skin blood flow and sweating), measurement of muscle temperatures (multicouple temperature sensors are inserted into the muscle), hemodynamic assessments (includes the measurement of limb blood flow, cardiac output, other).
Laboratory 4
The second room is equipped with a small exercise testing facility equipped with a metabolic system, treadmill, semi-recumbent and upright cycle ergometers and medical bed as well as blood and urine analysis equipment. This research space is used primarily to conduct patient screening and/or prepare the participants for the experimental trials.
Gallery
