APEX - Altitude Physiology Expeditions

30/11/2025

APEX 6 PUBLICATION

We're delighted to announce that a paper utilising data extracted from APEX 6 neutrophil samples has been published in Nature Immunology. Congratulations to Dr Manuel Sanchez-Garcia and Professor Sarah Walmsley from the Centre for Inflammation Research as well as the APEX 6 team for reaching this milestone.

You can read the paper here:

Walmsley and colleagues report that systemic hypoxia induces persistent loss of histone H3K4me3 marks and epigenetic reprogramming in neutrophil progenitors, resulting in long-term impairment of subsequent neutrophil effector functions.

08/09/2025

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PRESENTATION

APEX 6 Expedition Leader Dr Oliver Vick had the pleasure of sharing preliminary findings of the expedition’s RESET Trial at the Wilderness Medical Society Summer Conference in Lake Geneva, WI, USA this summer.

The RESET trial investigated a novel multimodal intervention to help accelerate body clock resetting on APEX 6. We hope to share final results soon.

We are incredibly grateful to the WMS and the Academy of Wilderness Medicine for their support of the trial through the Charles S Houston Grant.

Wilderness Medical Society
APEX - Altitude Physiology Expeditions

03/07/2025

VIVA EL STRONGEST🐯🔥

By Alastair Holligan

The early rise on the second day allowed for the tremendous discovery that La Paz is in fact quite cold at times and the hostel appears to have no hot water. A crisp shower-defibrillation kick started the day and we head downstairs for the brief. Going downstairs - fine, going upstairs - borderline respiratory arrest.

To hear more about Ally’s day and the amazing football we had the pleasure of witnessing, read our blog linked in our bio!

03/07/2025

An Unexpected Encounter and Bolivian Pride!🇧🇴🏳️‍🌈

Read about these two adventures on the blog linked in our bio!

02/07/2025

Journey to La Paz🔥🇧🇴

By Amelia Aves & Raphael Gutierrez

The journey to La Paz was quite an epic one, taking us 46 hours total! The journey began for all of us at Heathrow where we gathered in terminal 4 and collected our very stylish APEX 7 branded fleeces and coats! We were split into different flight routes, and sent to all four corners of the earth (literally).

Go and read the rest of the sordid tale on our blog, linked in our bio!🫡

27/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 HBI 🏔️

APEX 7 HBI will investigate markers of neuronal injury at altitude, specifically GFAP and UCH-L1. It is led by Anya and Ella A, and supervised by Mr Andrew Sutherland.

Mr Andrew Sutherland is a consultant transplant surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He has been involved in APEX since 2001, where he was the doctor on the very first APEX expedition. He led a research project on APEX 2 which also looked at markers of neuronal injury, and now sits on the APEX Charity Management Committee. His research interests include ischaemia reperfusion injury, ischaemic preconditioning, high-altitude physiology and new technologies in organ preservation.

27/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 NEU 🏔️

APEX 7 NEU builds on previous APEX research studies and will investigate neutrophil responses to prolonged hypoxia. The neutrophil project has always been a highlight amongst the expedition team, where volunteers have been trained in the processing of samples and have been able to help with this in the high-altitude research laboratory. This has provided valuable experience in practical research skills in a unique environment.

We are excited to be working with the Brown Lab once again!

26/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 CORE 🏔️

APEX 7 CORE will investigate the accuracy of pulse oximetry devices in hypoxia by comparing oxygen saturation readings to the gold standard, arterial blood gases. This element is led by Anya, Cameron and David and supervised by Professor Kenneth Baillie.

We are incredibly grateful to for supporting this study through their External Research Programme, through which they will be providing both devices and funding. Thank you for your support!

26/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 SKIN 🏔️

APEX 7 SKIN is led by Colette Revadillo and supervised by Prof Sara Brown. It aims to investigate the dermatological adaptations which occur at altitude!

19/06/2025

ONE WEEK COUNTDOWN !!

See you in Heathrow soon 🏔️🦙🇧🇴

12/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 eQTL 🏔️

APEX 7 eQTL will investigate expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in hypobaric hypoxia. This research element is led by Anya (head of research) and supervised by Professor Kenneth Baillie (The University of Edinburgh).

Prof Baillie led the very first APEX expedition in 2001, and founded the APEX Charity. He is Chief Investigator of the APEX 7 Study, and has contributed greatly to all APEX expeditions through providing mentorship and support. He works as a consultant in the intensive care unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and is Co-Director of the Pandemic Science Hub. During the Covid outbreak in 2020-2021, he led the UK-wide GenOMICC and ISARIC4C studies, and contributed to the design and delivery of the RECOVERY trial. He discovered new biological mechanisms underlying critical illness in Covid, and contributed to the discovery of effective drug treatments to reduce mortality.

Prof Baillie leads a research programme in translational genomics- using genetic signals from critically ill patients to identify both the targets for drug therapy, and the groups of patients likely to benefit most from any treatment, and testing those therapeutic ideas in highly-efficient model systems.

APEX 7 eQTL will be a continuation of work from previous expeditions: APEX 4 (2014), APEX 5 (2017), and APEX 6(2022).

11/06/2025

🏔️ APEX 7 HEAT 🏔️

Next up, APEX 7 HEAT led by Camille (Head of FGS) and Ella M (Head of Volunteers)! This study aims to investigate the metabolic adaptations which occur in hypobaric hypoxia, and is supervised by Dr Zoi Michailidou (Nottingham Trent University).

Whilst working at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Michailidou was aware of the unique opportunities APEX provides medical students to explore human physiology at high altitude that fit very well with her research programme. Zoi put herself forward as a mentor and proposed a project, which evolved to be APEX 7 HEAT.

We are very excited to be collaborating with on this study!