Thought LeadersProfessor Terrie WilliamsDirector of Marine Mammal Physiology ProjectUniversity of California- Santa Cruz
News-Medical talks to Professor Terrie Williams about how looking at the diving physiology that enables marine mammals to withstand low oxygen conditions can improve our understanding of the effects of COVID-19.
Image Credit: Craig Lambert Photography / Shutterstock.com
What led you to begin this research?
My laboratory has been studying mammalian metabolism and hypoxia for over three decades, working with human triathletes as well as dolphins, narwhals, lions, bears, and more. In trying to answer the question ‘How do marine mammals hold their breath for so long?’, we have found that tolerance to hypoxia varies markedly among animals.