**Program Leader's Progress Report for Human Biology and Medicine to the Antarctic Science Advisory Committee for the 2000-01 Antarctic Season**

Dr Peter Sullivan, Australian Antarctic Division

Goal 1 - Maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and Enhance Australia's Influence within the System.

Human Biology and Medicine: Medical and research input to SCAR and an active research program in collaboration with international partners and directly related to Australia's Antarctic goals will enhance Australia's influence within the ATS. Further, medical data which increases the knowledge of the interaction of humans in Antarctica will allow policy planners to ensure that scientists and support staff working in Antarctica can carry out their research more safely and efficiently.

Key Scientific Outputs

Involvement in setting the direction of international scientific programs and forums relating to Antarctic issues, and contributing to their outcomes

Assessment Milestones

Publications, data sets and reports contributing to international polar knowledge (Ongoing)
Influence of Australian research in other national and international research programs (Ongoing)
Results of relevant research and practice used by policy-makers (Ongoing)

Research Output achieved against the strategic plan

Influence within the Antarctic Teaty System has continued - but more through advice to other national groups, and sharing of practical information, rather than through Research per se.

There were no relevant activities except those which are more fully described under Goal 4 "Work of Practical, Economic and National Significance".

Goal 4 - To Undertake Work of Practical, Economic and National Significance.

Human Biology and Medicine: The research program will include a series of projects with explicit practical and beneficial objectives. They will:

examine the long-term effects of wintering in Antarctica on health;
assess immune responses and mechanisms of immunological change;
assess the stressors of Antarctic living and physiological (especially thermoregulation), endocrinological, microbiological, behavioural and psychological responses;
contribute to Space-related studies on immunological, virological, psychological and behavioural changes due to stressors in totally isolated groups;
determine nutritional status and energy balance;
build on ANARE experience and expertise in remote area medicine including enhanced telemedicine techniques;
determine the ultra violet radiation environment and its influence on health and well- being; and
should decrease morbidity and improve health.

Key Scientific Output

Continued collection of field data reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presentations to international and national scientific conferences.

Assessment Milestones

Analysis of ANARE Health Register and epidemiological research to improve health care and decrease morbidity (Ongoing).
Assessment of disturbance of milieu interieur through Antarctic experience (Ongoing).
Determination of the effects of immunological, psychological and behavioural stressors in the totally isolated groups and the remote medical services needed (Ongoing).
Assessment of the effect of UV radiation on health of Antarctic personnel (Ongoing).
Assessment of completion of data collection on discrete research projects at each station, publications, reports and presentations to national and international scientific and medical conferences (Ongoing).

New milestone (resulting from a combination of points 2 and 3 above) :

Investigation of thermoregulatory and immunological studies in Antarctic expeditioners, esp cold stress response.

Research Output achieved against the strategic plan

5 publications under Projects 12 and 13 appeared in 2000.
In April 2000, a Special Assurance Project Agreement was signed between the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) and the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) for long-term collaborative research into areas such as thermal physiology, cold climate clothing, predictive modeling, and effects of cold on immune response.
As a result of this Project Agreement a significant new study was in September 2000, the aims of which are:
1. to quantify shivering thermogenesis associated with deep core and skin temperatures during a 2 hour cold stress test, prior to and following an Antarctic expedition.
2. to develop specific algorithms applicable for the ciold acclimatised state that can be used to validate cold stress prediction models.
3. to confirm if there is a reduction in specific immune changes during prolonged Antarctic exposure. A major goal is to document whether such changes have a direct association with altered thermoregulatory responses following prolonged exposure.

Research/Activities in the 2000-01 strategic plan NOT achieved and why

A minor problem has been a prolonged delay in getting one of the collaborating laboratories in the United States to carry out the neuropeptide assay.

Research Output for Human Biology & Medicine Program published in 2000

Burns, R. and Sullivan, P. (2000) Perceptions of danger, risk taking, and outcomes in a remote community In: Peter Suedfeld and Karine Weiss (Ed.). Environment and Behavior 32(1) . 32-71 ; [Ref: 9152 ] Projects 12 , 13 , 911

Gleeson, M., Francis, J.L., Lugg, D.J., Clancy, R.L., Ayton, J.M., Reynolds, J.A. and McConnell, C.A. (2000) A year in Antarctica: mucosal immunity at three Australian stations In: (Ed.). Immunology and Cell Biology 78 . 616-622 ; [Ref: 9447 ] Projects 13

Lugg, D.J. (2000) Antarctic medicine. In: (Ed.). Journal of American Medical Associationa 283(16) . 2082-2084 ; [Ref: 9433 ] Projects 13

Wood, J.A., Hysong, S.J., Lugg, D.J. and Harm, D.L. (2000) Is it really so bad? A comparison of positive and negative experiences in Antarctic winter stations In: (Ed.). Environment and Behaviour 32(1) . 85-111 ; [Ref: 9445 ] Projects 13

Mehta SK, Pierson DL, Cooley HN, Dubow R, Lugg DJ. Epstein-Barr virus reactivation associated with diminished cell-mediated immunity in Antarctic expeditioners. Journal of Medical Virology 2000; 61(2): 235-240.