Our Mission

Improving life through research on how hypoxia affects health and performance

Our Goal

Developing distinguished research programs in four key areas:

1. epidemiology of altitude problems in travelers and the impact of hypoxia on common diseases in residents of altitude
2. clinical outcomes research
3. integrative physiology
4. cell, molecular and genomic mechanisms of hypoxia

The Impact of Hypoxia

A continuous supply of oxygen is essential for proper physical and mental functioning. If this supply is compromised for any reason, a condition called hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen, results. Everyone who travels to high altitude experiences some degree of hypoxia before their body adapts to the lower oxygen levels. At high altitude, simple physical tasks become much more difficult and mental deficits begin to appear. But altitude isn't the only factor causing hypoxia: millions of people at sea level experience chronic hypoxia every day due to common cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Despite this significant impact on quality of life, large gaps still exist in our understanding of how the body is impacted by hypoxia. There is little to no research exploring how altitude affects vulnerable populations, such as elderly people with underlying cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic diseases. The pressing need to understand such basic problems becomes even clearer when the economic impact of hypoxia is considered. The Altitude Research Center exists to address these problems using the full array of modern medical research tools.

The center has research programs in four distinct areas:

1. epidemiology
2. clinical outcomes research
3. integrative physiology
4. cellular, molecular, and genetic biology

Each approach builds on the others in order to achieve the most complete understanding possible. Epidemiological studies quantify the scope of altitude related problems and identify specific at risk populations. Integrative studies look at physiological changes on the level of the organism while cellular, molecular, and genomic investigations examine the fundamental mechanisms underlying these changes. This understanding ultimately improves clinical treatment of problems related to altitude.