Human Biology and Medicine

The isolated environment has physiological effects
on people wintering in Antarctica

Antarctica, the most isolated continent on earth, is an extreme environment for humans. Human Biology and Medicine research the vulnerability of totally isolated groups in an attempt to help people live and work more safely and efficiently in such difficult conditions. The major responsibility of a doctor in Antarctica is health care while medical research is a part-time occupation. They look at health and behavioural studies, thermal adaptation, nutrition, epidemiology, cardiovascular studies, photobiology, and diving medicine. Results imply that those wintering in Antarctica are subject to significant physiological disturbance, including reduced immune function and they acclimatise to the cold. Such studies are of potential value for health care on long duration space flights.

• Human adaptation to isolated confined environments
• US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)
  • Immunology
  • Psychosocial

Metadata for Human Biology & Medicine are held at the Australian Antarctic Data Centre

For more information, email: medicine@aad.gov.au