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Summer's brutal heat brings with it the dangers of skin-scorching sunburn, heartbreaking accidents and deadly dehydration. Summer is also the time when travel season peaks, as people journey to various locations for rest and relaxation, to enjoy water activities and take a "time out." Healthcare specialists from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston offer advice and tips to beat the heat and stay safe this summer.

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From the west to east coast, Americans are experiencing record-breaking temperatures. Some states are reporting triple-digit numbers and the heat has been the cause of several reported deaths. "Children and the elderly are considered the most vulnerable population. It is harder for their bodies to respond to these high temperatures," said Richard N. Bradley, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and chief of EMS and disaster medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

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Researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health have developed a game for HIV-positive youth, +CLICK, designed to reduce secondary transmission of the virus.

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With the World Health Organization raising the H1N1 flu to the highest pandemic level (Level 6), faculty members of The University of Texas Health Science Center say the world economy could be affected but the illness has run its course in the United States "“ for now.

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Summer camp, with all its attendant bugs, s'mores and new friends, is a child's first step toward independence from parents. It's also an important educational experience that helps them develop traits they will need as they grow into adulthood. But how do you know if they're ready? An expert from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston helps you figure it out.

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"My wish is simple, but I wouldn't have given it a second thought this time last year," Joe Castelli said as his eyes welled up with tears. "I want to see my children grow up. I have two daughters who are nine and seven." Castelli has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He is receiving treatment at the Center for Thermal Therapy Cancer Treatment at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Castelli was approved as a candidate for Dr. Joan Bull's Phase 2 thermal therapy clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Students from The University of Texas School of Public Health are gaining firsthand surveillance experience in response to the recent H1N1 flu outbreak. The Student Epidemic Intelligence Society (SEIS) was organized in 2002 shortly after Kristy Murray, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at the UT School of Public Health joined the faculty at the UT School of Public Health. As a former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she was invited to assist the city health department with the increasing number of West Nile virus cases being diagnosed in Houston.

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Adrian, William, Jocelyn and Kailynn"”all athletic teenagers from the Greater Houston area and all victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Adrian and William survived. Jocelyn and Kailynn, both just 13, did not. "In each of these cases, the problem that caused the sudden cardiac arrest could have been detected with more in-depth screening than typical athlete physicals," said John P. Higgins, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

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The director of the new Center for Molecular Imaging at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is using near-infrared night vision technology made famous by American soldiers in the First Gulf War to shed light on the lymphatic system.

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With more outbreaks of the new strain of swine flu come outbreaks of misinformation and rumor. Below are 20 questions answered by infectious disease expert Charles Ericsson, M.D., professor of internal medicine and director of Travel Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

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John A. Valenza, D.D.S., executive associate dean and associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, has been named the school's interim dean, effective May 23, 2009.

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While they don't look like R2-D2 or the other robotic stars of the silver screen, assistive robotic devices being designed to help stroke and spinal cord injury survivors with rehabilitation could be an even bigger hit.

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Middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Christine Markham, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral science at the UT School of Public Health, and colleagues examined sexual risk behaviors among middle school students in a large southeastern U.S. urban public school district.

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Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are on the forefront of stem cell research, developing novel therapies designed to generate heart cells, repair traumatic lung injuries, grow new bone and stanch the spread of cancer cells.

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Residents shopping at the Brownsville Farmer's Market are taking a healthy step in fighting an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley by eating more fruits and vegetables since the market opened last November, according to researchers.

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A breakthrough strategy to improve the effectiveness of the only tuberculosis vaccine approved for humans provided superior protection against the deadly disease in a pre-clinical test, report scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in Nature Medicine's Advance Online Publication March 1. Their findings resulted from more than 6 years of research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Tick Tock. It's that time of year. Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. this Sunday. A sleep expert at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston offers tips to help you and your family get a good night's rest.

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At her 21st birthday, Julie Moore understood better than most what "having your whole life in front of you" meant. Not because she could finally order a legal drink, but because her whole life had just depended on noticing one tiny freckle. The freckle, it turned out, was melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Tanning booths and sun worshipping had left their mark early.

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Safe barbecuing relies upon simple common sense, but let's face it"“we're all just grown-up kids playing with fire when we cook burgers over an open flame"”which is part of the fun, but sometimes people do get hurt. Whether your grilling pit is powered by lighter fluid or propane, fire is fire. Know the dangers (and how to use a fire extinguisher.)

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Bikinis, beaches and beer: spring break is here. But with it comes the sobering thought that 1,700 college students each year die as the result of alcohol misuse and thousands more are injured or sexually assaulted, says college drinking expert Scott Walters, Ph.D., associate professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional Campus.