Overview
Research interests include the study of cardiorespiratory function in humans during challenging clinical settings including the perioperative period, and exposure to environmental conditions such as diving and high altitude. Studies have included gas exchange during diving, the pathophysiology of high altitude and immersion pulmonary edema, the effect of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia on pulmonary function and monitoring of tissue oxygenation. Ongoing human studies include the effect of respiratory muscle training on chemosensitivity and blood gases during stressful breathing: underwater exercise.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Anesthesiology
·
1998 - Present
Anesthesiology, General, Vascular, High Risk Transplant & Critical Care,
Anesthesiology
Medical Director, Hyperbaric Center
·
2006 - Present
Anesthesiology,
Clinical Science Departments
Professor of Medicine
·
2007 - Present
Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine,
Medicine
Recent Scholarly Works
Diving exposure and pulmonary stress.
Journal article J Physiol · July 2, 2026 Full text Link to item CiteGas Embolism: Fundamentals, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
Journal article IEEE Rev Biomed Eng · April 28, 2026 Invasive medical interventions or abrupt reductions in ambient pressure can result in intravascular gas embolism. The accumulation of gas bubbles initiates a cascade of pathophysiological phenomena progressing from platelet activation to ischemia and neuro ... Full text Link to item CiteGas exchange and pulmonary stress variations during SCUBA and breath-hold diving in open seawater.
Journal article J Physiol · April 13, 2026 Understanding of pulmonary gas exchange measurements in divers at sea is incomplete. In this study, arterial blood gases (ABGs) were measured in SCUBA divers breathing compressed air and pedalling at depths of 15 or 40 m in seawater (msw). In breath-hold d ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Integrated Training in Anesthesiology Research
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 1996 - 2031Perfluoromethane as a Decompression Gas for Human Diving (CLIN 1003)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Naval Sea Systems Command · 2025 - 2030Perfluoromethane as a Decompression Gas for Human Diving (CLIN 2001)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Naval Sea Systems Command · 2025 - 2030View All Grants
Education
McGill University (Canada) ·
1973
M.D.