Thursday, March 28, 2024
Scuba DivingNeal Pollock Is Appointed Canada's First Research Chair in Hyperbaric and Diving...

Neal Pollock Is Appointed Canada’s First Research Chair in Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine

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The gathering of the clans at dive events is always a great way to make friends, establish relationships and catch up on news. One story that broke during October’s European advanced diving conference concerned EUROTEK speaker, Dr. Neal W Pollock. Article author and EUROTEK co-founder Rosemary E Lunn announced the news that Dr. Pollock had become an Associate Professor during the Gala Award Dinner.

Dr Neal W Pollock, diving research, Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, Rosemary E Lunn, Roz Lunn, EUROTEK, Kinesiology, School of Medicine
Neal Pollock’s new job title was unveiled at EUROTEK.2016

Pollock has been appointed as Research Chair in Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine at Laval University, Quebec. He will also serve as an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, School of Medicine. The Chair position is new; possibly the first of its kind in North America. The purpose is to provide overarching support and promotion of hyperbaric and diving medicine.

“Hyperbaric medicine is frequently overlooked by mainstream medicine practitioners”, explained Pollock. “There is actually many opportunities to bring together different discipline areas to develop potentially useful applications.”

A simple example of how the arcane knowledge of one group can play a role in developing effective strategies for another has just been published by a Brit. The UK study concerned radiation therapy.

Cancer tumors are surrounded by healthy tissues. If the tumor is located in an area of the body that can be kept still, it is easier for just the tumor to be precisely targeted by radiation therapy. But if the tumor is in or near the lungs, for example, the chest will move as the patient breathes. This makes the targeting of radiation therapy more difficult; increasing the amount of collateral damage. The Brit study evaluated the use of breathing oxygen prior to radiation treatment to prolong the patient’s ability to breath-hold. Oxygen-enhanced breath-hold has long been understood in the diving community. Using it during radiation treatment can enable patients to remain still and help reduce damage to healthy tissue.

Diving research physiologist, Dr Neal W Pollock, decompression, Rosemary E Lunn, Roz Lunn, The Underwater Marketing Company, Innerspace, Grand Cayman, Fourth Element, TTE, transthoracic echocardiogram, Shearwater Research
Diving research physiologist Dr. Neal Pollock conducting decompression research in the field

Pollock’s new role is a huge opportunity to bridge operational practice with clinical medicine. The unit will be able to take lessons learned from one community and apply them to others.

“We are limited only by the expertise and creativity of collaborators”, stated Neal Pollock. “I look forward to opportunities to engage smart brains to promote crossover work. We often benefit by learning to view the world a bit differently.”

“I have enjoyed my two decades at Duke and DAN. I was invited to North Carolina in 1996 by Dr. Richard Vann to work at the Center for Environmental Physiology and Hyperbaric Medicine at Duke. Increasing my involvement with DAN made sense as a natural extension of my prior safety work as Diving Officer at the University of British Columbia.”

Dr Neal W Pollock, Pascal van Erp, Rosemary E Lunn, Roz Lunn, EUROTEK, Discovery Award, ghost fishing, diving research, medicine, hyperbaric medicine
Dr Neal W Pollock (left) and Pascal van Erp (right) were nominated for the EUROTEK.2016 Discovery Award for their respective work in diving and hyperbaric research and ghost fishing. They are pictured here with EUROTEK co-founder Rosemary E Lunn | Photo Credit: Jason Brown

“I am proud to have served as DAN’s Research Director, and will continue to support DAN mission initiatives, but it is a real honor to be invited to take on the challenges of this new program. It is also very exciting to spend more time in my birth country.”

“The Laval and Levis groups are passionate and the hyperbaric facility top class. It will be fantastic to help develop new opportunities for collaboration in research and education. We will be drawing on local and international talent to create new initiatives. Given the beauty of Quebec City, we will have no difficulty drawing folks in to participate in future events.”

Rosemary E Lunn
Rosemary E Lunnhttp://www.tumc.co.uk
Rosemary is the founder of The Underwater Marketing Company, co-founder of EUROTEK and established TEKDiveUSA. Roz is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, a BSAC Advanced Instructor, a rebreather and a Trimix diver. Before moving into the PR field she worked as a full time recreational instructor in the UK and abroad, on History Channel and National Geographic documentaries, as a safety diver and modelled underwater. She is a prolific freelance writer. You can find Roz on FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and on her blog.

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