Chris
Professor Chris Imray PhD FRCS FRCP FRGS works at Warwick Medical School, Coventry University and the University of Exeter. He is a Consultant Vascular and Renal Transplant Surgeon, the Chair of the Vascular Society Research Committee and the Director of Research, and Development at UHCW NHS Trust.
He started climbing whilst at school and has continued to travel the world to fulfill this passion. He has climbed as far afield as the sea cliffs of Cornwall to the volcanoes of Chile. His altitude research began with the Birmingham Medical Research Expeditionary Society in late 1980s, and has continued with the Caudwell Xtreme Everest Research Group and CASE. He took part in the 2006 Xtreme Cho Oyu expedition to Tibet, as one of the medical officers and was the Deputy Climbing Leader of the 2007 Caudwell Xtreme Everest Expedition. He summited both Cho Oyu (8201m) and Everest (8550m) and has the dubious distinction of having the second lowest arterial gases ever recorded in an adult (at 8,400m). He is a member of the Alpine and Climbers Club and sits on the Mount Everest Screening Committee.
To read Chris' blogs from the 10th Anniversary expedition, please click on the posts below.
Sleep deprivation in the name of science
1st Apr 2017 // It seemed like a reasonable enough request that I had initially received from Helen. Within the email there were a couple of apparently innocent questions including ‘would you mind wearing a made to measure physiology vest so we can assess your heart rate, ecg and breathing rate whilst you climb up to Everest Base Camp? Oh and by the way, we would like to do some sleep studies as well’.
Schoolboy error
5th Apr 2017 // I have never really enjoyed the flight from Katmandu to Lukla. The flight itself was spectacular with wonderful views of the Himalayan chain in all its majesty. It's the landing that bothers me, because the runway appears to be unfeasibly short and angled upwards. In the past we have flown in twin otters but this time we flew in a which appears to have a higher speed, the landing speed appeared to be greater- but this may just be my nervous imagination playing tricks
