Matt Brearley is a renowned thermal physiologist, adjunct professor, and a former Exercise Scientist of the Year. Widely recognized as “The Heat Guy,” his career specializes in human performance and worker safety in high-risk, challenging, and harsh thermal environments. He previously managed the National Heat Training and Acclimatisation Centre and served as the heat specialist for the Australian Olympic Team during the lead-up to and throughout the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In 2010, he pivoted his focus to occupational and emergency settings, heavily collaborating with the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) to build an evidence-based responder program for heat-exposed deployments. He has contributed to over 50 published papers and chapters, advising emergency response, defence, mining, and utilities sectors across Australia to optimise the health, safety and performance of heat-exposed personnel.