Recipients of the R.W. “Bill” Hamilton Medical Research Grant

Jens-Christian Meiners, University of Michigan

Mechanics of Gas Bubble Formation and Dissolution in Spinal Cord Tissue

The 2019 DAN/R. W. “Bill” Hamilton Grant was awarded to Jens-Christian Meiners, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan. His project focuses on exploring spinal cord decompression sickness (SC-DCS) and the dynamics of gas bubble formation. This study will involve compressing and rapidly decompressing spinal cord tissue to induce bubble formation inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to identify any tissue damage that may arise.

Daniel Popa, University of California San Diego Medical Center/Universidad Marista de Mérida

Hypoxia Signatures in Closed Circuit Rebreather Divers

The 2018 DAN/R. W. “Bill” Hamilton Grant was awarded to Daniel Popa, M.D., Ph.D., an emergency medicine physician at the University of California San Diego Medical Center and an adjunct professor of clinical epidemiology and research methods at the Universidad Marista de Mérida. His study focused on the incidence of hypoxia in rebreather divers. Hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen to sustain bodily functions, is a hazard that closed-circuit rebreathers (CCRs) can experience when failures occur with their equipment.

Virginie Papadopoulou, Ph.D. University of North Carolina

Improving Decompression Science: Redefining Decompression Modeling

The 2017 DAN/R. W. “Bill” Hamilton Grant was awarded to Dr. Papadopoulou, who has a background in physics and bioengineering. She is a postdoctoral research associate in the Dayton Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her primary research addresses ultrasound imaging and cancer therapy using special formulations of microbubble contrast agents. Since receiving the Hamilton grant to support her research on improving decompression science by redefining decompression modeling to limit decompression stress, Dr. Papadopoulou has become a valued collaborator for DAN. She has advanced this initial grant into a multiyear research project, which is now also funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

Ingrid Eftedal, Ph.D. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Occupational Saturation Divers on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

The 2016 DAN/R. W. “Bill” Hamilton Grant Recipient was awarded to
Dr. Eftedal, who is an experienced dive medicine researcher with a background in biophysics and molecular biology. She is currently the principal investigator for a project titled Fitness to Dive – A Translational Approach To Physiological Challenges In The Hyperbaric Working Environment. The aim of Dr. Eftedal’s current research is to achieve an improved understanding of the immune system’s role in reactions and acclimatization to diving. Dr. Eftedal used the Hamilton grant to support a study on occupational saturation divers on the Norwegian continental shelf. The results of her study will provide information that may be applied to prepare divers and protect them from injury, which closely aligns with DAN’s mission to advance diving science and promote dive safety.