Skip to main content

Research at the Kales Lab focuses on the health of firefighters and other public safety professionals,  including investigating the causal relationship of heart disease to job activities and exoploring how to mitigate the risk of cardiac events.

Phone 617-432-6463
Location

665 Huntington Ave
Building 1, 14th floor
Boston, MA, 02115

Firefighter silouette against a smoky background with red and blue lights.

Health and safety among first responders

The Kales Lab specializes in occupational and environmental medicine with a focus on the health and safety of firefighters and public safety professionals.

We investigate the link between job activities and cardiovascular events in firefighters and advocate for lifestyle measures like Mediterranean nutrition to prevent chronic diseases.

Our goal is to implement innovative approaches to promote healthy lifestyle habits in workplaces, hospitals, and beyond.

Research Areas:

Firefighter health

We assess firefighter health risks, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory conditions, and the impact of physical and psychological demands on long-term health.

Police officer health

We examine the health challenges faced by law enforcement officers, focusing on nutrition, stress, physical activity in relation to cardiovascular risk factors, and exposure to hazardous conditions.

Education and training

The Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Program is a comprehensive two-year training ground for future leaders in occupational medicine.

Research Highlights

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential health benefits of Greek Bottarga, a traditional and sustainably produced marine food made from Grey mullet fish roe, which is believed to have excellent nutritional properties, including anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects. We will conduct a randomized, controlled, cross-over pilot study to compare the metabolic effects of daily Bottarga supplementation against a calorically equivalent dairy product in overweight and pre-diabetic participants. This study will assess changes in metabolic metrics at multiple points, with the expectation that Bottarga supplementation will result in beneficial improvements in lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance.

The goal of our study is to explore the effectiveness of 9- month lifestyle medicine based coaching intervention (individual and group coaching) versus control (usual care/ written health instructions). The primary study outcomes will be mean changes in body composition metrics, whereas secondary outcomes will be the prevalence of metabolic abnormities, progression/regression of Metabolic Syndrome, push-up & sit/stand capacity, self-reported physical activity, and quality of life/diet/sleep measures.

The purpose of the project is to develop a prototype smartphone application for future Healthy Lifestyle (HLS) interventions aimed at new firefighters, conduct a field pilot test (beta-testing) with participants in their academy and probationary environments, and validate the app’s effectiveness in maintaining adherence to the HLS program over 3-6 months. The validation will focus on its impact on improving HLS parameters, including lifestyle scores, body composition, physical fitness, and behavioral health, such as trauma and depression screeners.

We aim to motivate firefighters and their families to incorporate Mediterranean Diet principles at work and home through education, participation and incentives. The study’s ultimate purpose is to lower firefighters’ risks for cardiovascular disease and cancer and incorporate the healthy eating principles behind the Mediterranean diet.

Principal Investigator

Publications

  • Hershey MS, Chang CR, Sotos-Prieto M, Fernandez-Montero A, Cash SB, Christophi CA, Folta SC, Muegge C, Kleinschmidt V, Moffatt S, Mozaffarian D, Kales SN. Effect of a Nutrition Intervention on Mediterranean Diet Adherence Among Firefighters: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Aug 1;6(8):e2329147. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.29147. PMID: 37589978; PMCID: PMC10436136.
  • Christodoulou A, Christophi CA, Sotos-Prieto M, Moffatt S, Kales SN. Eating Habits among US Firefighters and Association with Cardiometabolic Outcomes. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 4;14(13):2762. doi: 10.3390/nu14132762. PMID: 35807942; PMCID: PMC9268786.
  • Hershey MS, Sotos-Prieto M, Ruiz-Canela M, Christophi CA, Moffatt S, Martínez-González MÁ, Kales SN. The Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index and metabolic syndrome in a non-Mediterranean working population. Clin Nutr. 2021 May;40(5):2494-2503. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.03.026. Epub 2021 Mar 31. PMID: 33932793.
  • Sotos-Prieto M, Christophi C, Black A, Furtado JD, Song Y, Magiatis P, Papakonstantinou A, Melliou E, Moffatt S, Kales SN. Assessing Validity of Self-Reported Dietary Intake within a Mediterranean Diet Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial among US Firefighters. Nutrients. 2019 Sep 19;11(9):2250. doi: 10.3390/nu11092250. PMID: 31546768; PMCID: PMC6769698.
  • Korre M, Sotos-Prieto M, Kales SN. Survival Mediterranean Style: Lifestyle Changes to Improve the Health of the US Fire Service. Front Public Health. 2017 Dec 18;5:331. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00331. PMID: 29326915; PMCID: PMC5741604
  • Sotos-Prieto M, Cash SB, Christophi CA, Folta S, Moffatt S, Muegge C, Korre M, Mozaffarian D, Kales SN. Rationale and design of feeding America’s bravest: Mediterranean diet-based intervention to change firefighters’ eating habits and improve cardiovascular risk profiles. Contemp Clin Trials. 2017 Oct;61:101-107. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2017.07.010. Epub 2017 Jul 11. PMID: 28710052