News

Date and time: May 22, 2025, from 12-1 pm ET 

Registration Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7WVaqEq8Q9G3gLeNlco2xQ  

Description: As summertime approaches, it is important to recognize how the human body naturally regulates heat, as well as the impact that medication use has on disrupting that regulation. This webinar will address drugs and mechanisms that increase risk of heat-related illnesses and dive into signs and symptoms of those illnesses with a focus on at-risk populations. The webinar will be presented from a pharmacological viewpoint and highlight ways that clinicians, researchers, and entities serving at-risk communities, can increase patient and community education with the goal of reducing risk of heat-related illness.  

 Objectives: By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

• Identify at least 2 medication classes commonly affected by extreme heat.  
• Explain how common medications alter the body’s function 
• Describe key patient-level and environmental factors that increase risk for heat-related medication complications. 
• Recognize at least 1 strategy for reducing medication-related illness in periods of extreme heat in clinical or community settings. 

 Bios:
Kenneth Mueller, PharmD, BCPS, serves as an Assistant Professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, bringing a wealth of expertise as a licensed pharmacist and board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In addition to his academic role, he actively practices as a clinical hospital-based pharmacist. As a hospital pharmacist, he has held multiple clinical based positions including most recently a cardiac unit-based pharmacist. Dr. Mueller earned his Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Findlay, Ohio, in 2012. Currently, he holds the prestigious positions of CFDE Course Design & Pedagogy Fellow and Center for Healthcare History & Policy Teaching Fellow. Notably, in 2022, Dr. Mueller was honored with the Provost Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education. His diverse research pursuits encompass pharmacology, climate change, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Heather Allstrom, DNP, WHNP-BC, is a Senior Clinical Instructor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Molecular and Cell Biology and Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Nursing from Emory University. Dr. Allstrom teaches in the prelicensure nursing program and actively engages students in immersive, service-learning experiences that promote health equity, community partnership, and social justice. Her scholarly work focuses on the intersection of climate change, pharmaceuticals, and prescribers in women’s health. She is passionate about service learning and committed to integrating innovative educational strategies into nursing practice. Dr. Allstrom is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, with academic interests that include women’s health, climate-informed care, and innovative nursing education. 

Lori A. Modly, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing, Primary Care pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Clinician Scientist whose work focuses on advancing child health, addressing health disparities, and leveraging technology for evidence-based nursing education and clinical practice. Her scholarship centers on mobile health delivery, climate-related health risks, and innovative data systems to support quality improvement for underserved populations. At Emory University, she leads curricular innovations integrating social determinants of health, artificial intelligence, and informatics into APRN education. Dr. Modly directs the Nursing Excellence Scholarship and Technology (NEST) program, co-leads the Farm Worker Family Health Program’s data initiatives, and serves in national leadership roles through Sigma Theta Tau and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education. Her work has been recognized with institutional teaching awards and national dissemination through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and interdisciplinary toolkits. 

Daniel Jackson Smith, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, CNE, FAAN, is an assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Smith is an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner whose research focuses on the intersection of climate change and human health, with a particular interest in the impact of extreme heat on the kidneys. Smith practices clinically, providing primary care services to the unhoused. Smith studies the effects of climate change on health outcomes of marginalized populations. He is particularly interested in identifying ways to enhance climate change resilience, developing adaptation strategies, and investigating the impact of environmental determinants of health on vulnerable populations, particularly those who experience disproportionate heat stress at work. He is an expert in community-based participatory research with Spanish-speaking populations.