April 18, 2025
SIU talk focuses on how the sun affects members of the military
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The effects of sun exposure on members of the military will be the topic of the final talk in a series focused on the sun and the major role it plays in the lives of humans everywhere, hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Justin McDaniel, associate professor of public health in the School of Human Sciences at SIU, and SIU doctoral student Claire Hughes will give a talk titled “Understanding Sun Exposure Risks in Military Personnel: A Public Health Perspective.” The talk, the last one in the “Journey to the Sun” series, is set for 3 p.m. Friday, April 25, at the Guyon Auditorium at Morris Library. The free, public event also will be streamed.
Sun exposure represents a major occupational hazard for military personnel, substantially increasing their risk for both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. The presentation by McDaniel and Hughes will discuss specific challenges faced by service members, especially those deployed in high-sun environments, and the effectiveness of current military gear and practices in offering essential protection from ultraviolet light.
Highlighting variations in skin cancer rates across different branches and ranks, the discussion will focus on the need for responsive strategies in prevention and screening and compare proposed advancements to safeguard at-risk personnel.
With current research projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs, McDaniel also holds joint appointments in the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (CARE) and the Department of Population Science and Policy at SIU School of Medicine. His scholarly interests center on social determinants of health among military veterans.
A native of Southern Illinois and doctoral student in population health, Hughes previously completed a master’s degree in social work. She currently works as an instructor of community health programming for the Illinois Public Health Association. Her research focuses on health promotion and the social drivers of health.
The “Journey to the Sun” series was modeled on the previous talk series, “Journey to the Eclipse,” which ran in the months leading up to the 2024 total solar eclipse in Southern Illinois. It is part of SIU’s multifaceted, national heliophysics public engagement program.