Dr. Bharat Venkat

Dr. Bharat Jayram Venkat is the director of the UCLA Heat Lab and is an Associate Professor at UCLA with a joint appointment spanning the Institute for Society & Genetics, the Department of History, and the Department of Anthropology. He is also affiliated with the UCLA Center for India & South Asia, the Program in Digital Humanities, the Urban Humanities Initiative, and the Luskin Center for Innovation. His research draws on the intellectual and methodological traditions of history and anthropology to study questions related to science, medicine, environment, race, and design.

Aishwarya Nair

Class of 2025

Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

Current Projects:
Pharma Heat

Aida Fraser

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society + Art History Minor

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Heat Data Analysis

Carmen Lo

Class of 2026

Human Biology and Society + Anthropology Minor

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Education

Chloe Tu

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society + GIS Minor

Current Projects:
Pharma Heat, Heat Data Analysis

Elena Gareau

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society + Global Health Minor

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Pharma Heat

Isaac Lee

Class of 2026

Biology + Gerontology Minor

Current Projects:
Education, Hot Takes Podcast

Kathy Tran

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society + Global Health Minor

Current Projects:
Pharma Heat, Heat Data Analysis

Nicole Floum

Class of 2025

History and Biochemistry Double Major

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Pharma Heat, Heat and Immigration

Sam Chamorro

Class of 2025

Biology

Current Projects:
Heat and Immigration, Heat Data Analysis

Sara Ghanbari

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Education

Shimona Gupta

Class of 2026

Human Biology and Society

Current Projects:
Heat Data Analysis, Pediatric Heat

Symphony Jackson

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society + Art History Minor

Current Projects:
Carceral Heat, Heat and Immigration

Past Projects: Watts Heat

Tiana Hoang

Class of 2026

Human Biology and Society + Global Health Minor

Current Projects:
Heat Data Analysis, Heat and Sweatshops, Hot Takes Podcast

Yasmine Qushair

Class of 2025

Human Biology and Society

Current Projects:
Education, Hot Takes Podcast

Giao Nguyen

Human Biology and Society
+ Global Health Minor

Projects:
Education

Jason Sutedja

Sociology
Public Affairs

Projects:
Hot Takes Podcast

Olivia Toledo

Geography & Environmental Studies
+ Geographic Information Systems and Technology Minor

Projects:
Heat and Incarceration

Chelsea Tran

Human Biology and Society
+ Philosophy Minor

Projects:
Lab Manager, Hot Takes Podcast, Heat and Incarceration, Heat Data Analysis, Sleep & Thermal Comfort

Tracy Tran

Environmental Science

Projects:
Education, Heat Data Analysis, Hot Takes Podcast

Ashwin Vasudevan

Human Biology and Society

Projects:
Education, Heat and Incarceration,Heat & Aging, Website

Sean Sugai

TRAG Watts Heat Project (Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Undergraduate Research Scholars Program 2021-22), Heat and Incarceration, (Re)considering Race and Heat (Honors 88C Seminar)

Vanessa De La Torre

Agricultural Workers – Heat Perception, Adaption, and Risk

Judy Chon

Heat Chapter Book,
Education

Hozumi Oshida

Heat and Chronic Illness in South Central LA,
Meta-Analysis for Thermal Physiology and Thermal Comfort

Kanishka Mehra

Food Truck Audit

Gael Perez

TRAG Watts Heat Project

Sierra Stevenson

Lab Manger, Food Truck Audit, Website, Heat and Homes in Boyle Heights

Christine King

Race and Heat: Occupational Risk in Regards to Heat Exposure

Alice Lu

It’s Always Sunny in Central LA (UCLA Library 2021 Undergraduate Research Prize for Special Collections)
Meta-Analysis for Thermal Physiology and Thermal Comfort

Hanna Barlow

Education,
Social Media

Diego Flores

Indoor heat, Occupational Safety, and Thermal Inequality

Edna Tovar

TRAG Watts Heat Project, (Re)considering Race and Heat (Honors 88C Seminar)

Cameron Jewett

Heat and Chronic Illness in South Central LA,
Food Truck Audit,
Social Media

Alex Nechaev

It’s Always Sunny in Central LA (UCLA Library 2021 Undergraduate Research Prize for Special Collections)
Meta-Analysis for Thermal Physiology and Thermal Comfort

Ashley Kenney

Education,
It’s Always Sunny in Central LA (UCLA Library 2021 Undergraduate Research Prize for Special Collections),
Gone Bananas,
Food Truck Audit,
Social Media