About CASE

The Centre for Altitude Space and Extreme Environment Medicine (CASE Medicine) is a group of clinicians and scientists with specialist interests and training in the medicine and physiology of extreme environments.

We conduct research, teach courses and offer advice in the areas of space, aviation, high altitude, remote, dive and hyperbaric medicine. Central to our work is the concept that the study of human systems stretched to breaking point in extreme environments can increase our understanding of critically ill patients.

Our current research is focused on applied human physiology and gene environment interactions. The centre piece of this research so far has been a medical research expedition to Mount Everest in 2007.

The Centre office is located within the Portex Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

A brief overview of what CASE is doing at present

• Altitude:
  Our flagship project is the Caudwell-Xtreme-Everest medical research expedition to the summit of Mount Everest (8848m) which took place in the spring of 2007.

• Space:
  CASE has collaborative projects with NASA exploring gene-environment (microgravity) interactions and the development of new medical technologies.

• Dive and Hyperbaric:
  Investigating the association between mitochondrial dysfunction and sepsis using hyperbaric hyperoxia. Currently completing a Cochrane Systematic Review of the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in necrotising fasciitis. Mixed gas diving and recompression table modeling.

• Extreme Temperatures:
  Members of our team have a great deal of experience treating those with heat and cold injuries, lecturing on these topics around the world.

• Aviation:
  We are part of a collaborative group holding an EU FP7 grant "The integrated cabin environment". Our contribution is an investigation of cabin hypoxia tolerance in individuals with cardio-respiratory limitation.