Dr. Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN, FAAN is an Assistant Professor at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Her research focuses on occupational heat exposure and its health impacts among outdoor workers, particularly agricultural workers exposed to extreme ambient temperatures.

Dr. Chicas serves as multiple principal investigator on a funded NIH/NIEHS R01 examining the role of microbiota, inflammation, and metabolomics in heat-related illness. In collaboration with researchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech, she co-developed a wearable biopatch that continuously monitors physiological data, including skin temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate. The collected data will enable AI to predict when an individual is at risk for heat-related illnesses on the job in real-time. Dr. Chicas conducted the first field-based intervention study in the United States using real-time biomonitoring to test cooling strategies for reducing core body temperature among farmworkers.

As an American Academy of Nursing Fellow at National Academy of Medicine, she serves on two ad hoc committees of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Health and Safety Impacts of Aircraft Cabin Temperatures and Overall Aircraft Cabin Air Quality. Her scholarly impact extends beyond traditional academic channels. Her research has been featured in The Washington Post, NPR, CNN, and MIT Technology Review, translating complex findings for public audiences.

Committed to shaping the next generation of nurse scientists and building a robust pipeline to the PhD, Dr. Chicas serves as Director of the Honors Program and Director of the Bedford Falls Foundation's funded Leadership and Educational Advancement Program in Nursing (LEAPN). Through her groundbreaking research, national leadership, and dedication to mentorship, she exemplifies nursing's power to drive scientific innovation, advance knowledge, and transform lives.

Chicas, R. C., Elon, L., Xiuhtecutli, N., Liang, D., Houser, M. C., Mwarumba, T., Berra, L., Hertzberg, V., Sands, J. M., & McCauley, L. (2024). Longitudinal Renal Function Degradation Among Florida Agricultural Workers. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 66(9), 694–705. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000003142

Chicas, R. C., Wang, Y., Jennifer Weil, E., Elon, L., Xiuhtecutli, N., C Houser, M., Jones, D. P., M Sands, J., Hertzberg, V., McCauley, L., & Liang, D. (2023). The impact of heat exposures on biomarkers of AKI and plasma metabolome among agricultural and non-agricultural workers. Environment international, 180, 108206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108206

Kim, Y. S., Kim, J., Chicas, R., Xiuhtecutli, N., Matthews, J., Zavanelli, N., Kwon, S., Lee, S. H., Hertzberg, V. S., & Yeo, W. H. (2022). Soft Wireless Bioelectronics Designed for Real-Time, Continuous Health Monitoring of Farmworkers. Advanced healthcare materials, 11(13), e2200170. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202200170

Chicas, R., Xiuhtecutli, N., Elon, L., Scammell, M. K., Steenland, K., Hertzberg, V., & McCauley, L. (2021). Cooling Interventions Among Agricultural Workers: A Pilot Study. Workplace health & safety, 69(7), 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079920976524  PMCID: PMC8693251

Dr. Chicas serves as the BSN Honors Director and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of nurse scientists. With extensive experience guiding students at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels, she is committed to fostering academic and professional growth in aspiring nurses.

Dr. Chicas conducts community-engaged research with the Farmworker Association of Florida to examines occupational/environmental health hazards and kidney dysfunction among agricultural workers. Her research draws together several disciplines and utilizes innovative methodologies to analyze the health effects of environmental heat exposure and design intervention studies to protect workers from climate change. Dr. Chicas is also examining the physiological mechanisms underlying acute kidney injury, with a specific focus on the role of glucose metabolism and heat exposure using metabolomics to pinpoint critical steps in how acute kidney injury begins and advances.

• 2025  
  Kammer Merit in Authorship Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)
• 2025  
  Emory Voice of Health Award
• 2024  
  American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Fellowship at National Academy of Medicine (NAM)