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Daniel Higuera, PhD
Meet Dr. Higuera
Dr. Daniel Higuera is a college professor and researcher with a PhD in health science, specializing in firefighter health, performance, and long-term career wellness. His work draws on both the scientific literature and applied field experience, including collaboration with over 25 fire departments across Southern California and physiological testing of more than 2,000 firefighters.
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Dr. Higuera's research investigates the impact of physiological demands, including workload, physical fitness, sleep disruption, and stress, on injury risk and cardiovascular health throughout a career in firefighting. He translates this research into practical, evidence-based guidance that firefighters and departments can apply in real-world settings.
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He is not a wellness program nor sells any products. His role is to educate using objective data and physiology, so decisions around training, recovery, and health are grounded in science rather than trends or marketing.
Media Appearances
Much of Dr. Higuera's research, field experience, and teaching is communicated through long-form conversations on podcasts. These discussions allow for nuance, context, and practical interpretation that often isn’t possible in short-form media.
Scientific Research
Dr. Daniel Higuera’s research and educational resources bring together peer-reviewed work, applied field data, and practitioner-focused summaries to examine firefighter health through an evidence-based and operational lens.
Does working a busier firehouse actually worsen firefighter health?
This white paper examines how emergency call volume relates to sleep, body fat, aerobic fitness, and physiological stress, revealing that many health challenges persist regardless of assignment and pointing toward systemic issues embedded in the job itself.
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How does one 24-hour shift impact a firefighters autonomic recovery?
This firefighter-focused white paper explains how heart rate variability changes across a shift and how stress, sleep, fitness, and PTSD symptoms show up in the nervous system, offering insight into why some firefighters recover better than others and how resilience can be built over time.
Body Composition, Fitness, and Cardiovascular Risk in Firefighters
This study examined the relationships between body composition and fitness characteristics in career firefighters participating in a health and wellness program. Data from 270 firefighters showed that although most individuals were physically fit relative to general population norms, a high proportion exhibited increased cardiovascular disease risk based on body composition measures.