Epicore Biosystems Advances Hydration Intelligence with New Scientific Advisors in Heat, Performance, and Proteomics

The Company Appoints Douglas Casa, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, FNAK, and Elaine Choung-Hee Lee, PhD, Amplifying Field Deployments and Biomarker Validation

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicore Biosystems (Epicore), a leader in wearable hydration and biosensing solutions for athletes, industrial workers, and military personnel, today announced the appointment of Dr. Douglas Casa and Dr. Elaine Choung-Hee Lee as Scientific Advisors. The appointments bring together two world-class experts with complementary skills in heat illness prevention, human performance, proteomics, and applied physiology to accelerate Epicore's core mission of translating sweat biomarkers and hydration insights into actionable decision-making to improve health and safety at scale.

These appointments come at a crucial time, as the world continues to grapple with extreme temperatures that are affecting health and safety worldwide, underscoring the need for prevention and regulation. At the forefront is Epicore's Connected Hydration platform, a smart wearable with a companion mobile app that continuously monitors sweat rate, fluid loss, electrolyte levels, skin temperature, thermal flux, and movement to combat the effects of fluid/electrolyte losses and fatigue by providing personalized feedback and interventions. Alongside Dr. Casa and Dr. Lee, Epicore will further advance the physiology and proteomics indicators related to hydration, stress, and fatigue to shape workforce safety, fitness, and overall health and performance.

Dr. Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of Connecticut and a globally recognized authority on exertional heat illness prevention, brings unparalleled expertise in heat safety, policy, and field protocols. His guidance will help Epicore ensure its platform provides actionable hydration and heat-risk intelligence for vulnerable populations. His priorities include identifying the most meaningful physiological signals, supporting the alignment of Epicore's wearable platform with established heat safety standards, and advancing personalized, proactive approaches to reducing heat-related risks.

"My passion for the study of exertional heat stroke started in 1985 when I suffered an exertional heat stroke while running a 10K race," said Dr. Douglas Casa. "It's become my ultimate goal to find ways to prevent needless tragedy during sport and physical activity, which is why I am honored to join Epicore Biosystems' Board of Scientific Advisors. They have created the first cloud-based wearable solution that not only alerts a user to the risk of fluid loss and dehydration, but also provides proactive recommendations based on their personalized data. The future of personalized performance and safety is here, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Dr. Lee, a leading researcher at the University of Connecticut specializing in human performance, hydration, and thermoregulation, brings deep experience in applied physiology and translational research. Dr. Lee will support the scientific validation of Epicore's biomarkers, guiding study design and ensuring that physiological signals are rigorously and meaningfully interpreted in real-world environments.

"Epicore is uniquely positioned at the intersection of wearable technology and applied physiology," said Dr. Elaine Lee. "By rigorously validating sweat-based biomarkers and translating them into actionable insights, Epicore's platform has the potential to meaningfully improve safety, performance, and health across demanding environments. I'm excited to contribute to a science-first approach that brings proteomics and physiological understanding into everyday decision-making."

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lee and Dr. Casa to our Scientific Advisory Board," said Dr. Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO & Co-Founder of Epicore Biosystems. "Their complementary expertise in heat-risk prevention and applied physiology strengthens our ability to deliver scientifically validated, real-time biomarker insights. With their guidance, Epicore will advance the safety and performance of athletes, industrial teams, and warfighters worldwide."

Dr. Casa has published over 400 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and presented over 700 times on maximizing performance in the heat, exertional heat stroke, heat-related illnesses, preventing sudden death in sport, and hydration. He has served as a co-author on multiple sports medicine position statements, consensus statements, and roundtables related to heat illness, hydration, and preventing sudden death, and participated as a writing group member on at least 20 policy statements for leading organizations, including the National Athletic Trainers' Association, American College of Sports Medicine, World Athletics, and the International Olympic Committee.  He has successfully treated over 425 cases of exertional heat stroke with zero fatalities. 

Dr. Lee has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is a recognized authority in human performance, hydration, and thermoregulation. She has led and contributed to applied physiology studies across laboratory and field settings, with a focus on translating complex physiological and biochemical data into actionable guidance. Her work has supported evidence-based practices in performance optimization and heat stress management through close collaboration with academic, clinical, and industry partners.

The announcement of Dr. Casa and Dr. Lee's appointment follows a landmark year of growth for Epicore. In 2025, the company raised $32M in Series B funding, announced its Connected Hydration Armband early adopter rollout, and secured an AFWERX Contract to enhance military hydration readiness.

To learn more about Epicore Biosystems and its suite of wearable technology solutions, visit www.epicorebiosystems.com.

About Epicore Biosystems
Epicore Biosystems is a digital health company spun out of Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the John Rogers Laboratory. Epicore has developed advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time and personalized health insights. Their clinically validated biowearable solutions and cloud analytics are deployed globally and licensed by leading Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Health. To learn more, visit: https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/. Follow Epicore on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Epicore Biosystems, Inc.