Oxygen toxicity: Where are we now?
Jay Dean, PhD

Navy dive operations: Lessons learned about planning, DCS prevention and treatment
Pete Witucki, MD

Wearable diving technology
John Florian, PhD

Combating flier’s “bends” during unpressurized flight and explosive decompression in World War II
Jay Dean. PhD

Dr. Dean will summarize the early years of DCS research as follows: begin with Harry Armstrong at Wright Field (1935ff); first O2 masks and development of oxygen prebreathe method to prevent DCS at altitude (OPB: Walter Boothby and Randy Lovelace at the Mayo Clinic and Lockheed Aircraft Co., 1938-40); collaborative high-altitude research w/OPB at Wright Field & Mayo Aero Medical Unit with Lockheed and Boeing Aircraft Companies (1940-45—incidentally, the USAAF Aero Med Lab’s high altitude research B-17E Flying Fortress was named “the Nemesis of Aeroembolism;” oversight of DCS research during WWII by Nat’l Res. Council’s SubComm. on DCS (1940-45; Chair, John Fulton, Yale U.);  Dr. Fred Hitchcock’s research on explosive decompression and risk for DCS, Ohio State Laboratory of Aviation Physiology, complete with movies (1940-45); incidence of DCS in bomber and fighter aircrews during WW2; and USAAF's conclusions about mitigation of DCS by war's end.

About Dr. Dean: Professor (with tenure), Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Professor, College of Medicine Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology.

USAF hypobaric exposures experience
Marc Robins, DO

Dr. Robins will speak on DCS altitude current problems faced and U2 case reports recently collected.

About Dr. Robins: Dr. Robins started his career in medicine working for the Ski Patrol in Southern Oregon at age 19 which soon led to employment as a nurses aide then as a Registered Nurse. Prior to medical school he worked as an RN in the Emergency Department at a level 1 Trauma Center, graduating with his Doctorate in Osteopathy in 1988. Receiving a Health Professions Scholarship to pay for Medical School he did his first Residency in Family Practice at the David Grant USAF Regional Medical Center at Travis AFB, California, and then a second Residency in Aerospace Medicine with Fellowship in Occupational Medicine and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University School of Public Health. He was awarded the Malcom Grow Air Force Outstanding Flight Surgeon of the Year Award in 1995, and completed a 20-year career as an Air Force Flight Surgeon. His assignments included European Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and command positions for Fighter Base Aeromedical Squadrons and the High Altitude U2 program in Beale, California, commanding medical services in six major deployments and one Humanitarian Mission. Dr. Robins culminated his career as the US Aerospace Medicine Consultant to the Australian Defence Force Medical Chief (US Surgeon General equivalent), retiring as a Colonel. He attended the NOAA Dive Medical course in 2010 and maintains an avid interest in recreational scuba diving, certifying in 2003. He is a pilot, enjoys skiing, mountain biking, motorcycle riding and rock climbing.