After that first meeting in Cologne in May, it was back to regular work in London as well as some personal training in expedition medicine (and beautiful hikes!) in the region of the Lake District in England. The whirlwind of the various training weeks then started mid August.
I first went to Munich to meet the team of CHO2ICE-II (Consequences of longterm-Confinement and Hypobaric HypOxia on Immunity in the antarctic Concordia Environment), led by Prof Alexander Choukèr at the Hospital of the University of Munich. This research focuses on the immune system response and (mal) adaptation to the stress winter-overers are exposed to. We will be under harsh conditions: living at the equivalent of almost 3800 metres of altitude with hypobaric hypoxic conditions, in a desert of ice where the mean yearly temperature is -50°C; submitted to the polar night with almost no sunlight for 3 months, in complete isolation for 9 months with the impossibility to be flown out of the station for the vast majority of this time, and cohabiting within a multicultural group in a secluded place with limited autonomy of movement, with the psychological hardships that this can entail. Many of these stressors are similar to those astronauts will be submitted to when going on deep space missions, for example to Mars. Concordia station therefore makes for a great space analogue. ESA is interested in identifying the novel and idiosyncratic health problems astronauts could experience before they even leave on such risky and inaugural missions, and more importantly look for efficient counter-measures to alleviate these effects. It would obviously be disastrous if astronauts became ill after months of travelling and whilst far away from earth, with limited communications and medical facilities.
The few days in Munich were intensive; I had a great lecture on immunity mechanisms and pathways, took not one but two blood draws from Prof Choukèr himself, and most importantly had to find my lab technician reflexes once again, whilst under scrutiny from Marion, Kathia and Audrey. A great welcome supper with the whole team in a “Biergarten”, and many sunny walks around the city more than compensated all the hard work.
75 Degrees South 