PHYPODE

Title: Physiopathology of decompression : risk factors for the formation of intravascular bubbles during decompression

Summary: Decompression sickness (DCS) is caused by circulating inert gas bubble formation in blood vessels and tissues resulting from supersaturation during inadequate decompression. It is an acknowledged risk of situations involving variations in ambient pressure, such as space flight and extravehicular activity, exposure to altitude, hyperbaric tunnelling intervention, as well as recreational and commercial underwater diving. Because new industrial challenges (human space flight programs, deeper planed tunnelling interventions and offshore oil excavation) and emerging recreational demands, the range of both environmental conditions and population characteristics involved in such activities regularly widen. Thus, new interdisciplinary approaches of decompression are needed to reduce risk for DCS.

To foster knowledge of decompression phenomena, the PHYPODE ITN proposes to:

• Develop an educational and research framework for cross-fertilization of currently fragmented research activities on physiopathology of decompression;
• Give young researchers opportunities to share research techniques and resources, benefit from the best international scientists knowledge in this field, have the advantages of strong interactions between industry, medical centres and academia;
• Widen career prospectives of young researchers by embracing the whole chain of research : from fundamental research for pathophysiological understanding of decompression to applied research in the industry for management of decompression.

To achieve this training programme, academic partners, non profit association with worldwide activities, hyperbaric medical centres and industrial partners, with complementary expertises will build up the common agreed program concerning education and research.

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