Volunteering and Research Project in Cuzco, Peru 2013

Published 6 August 2012

In April 2013, 25 Sport and Exercise Science BSc(Hons) students, and five staff members will travel to Cuzco, Peru with the goal of aiding and educating the local community.

The Peru expedition gives students the chance to experience a once in a lifetime trip to South America and make a positive contribution to the lives of others.

On the trip students will climb Macu Picchu which is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America and the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.

Students will complete physiological and medical research on the human responses to altitude exposure after heat and hypoxic acclimation at sea-level.

The students will also spend 10 days teaching, implementing educational activities and helping with the running of orphanages around Peru.

Research

Cuzco is situated at an altitude of 3,400m at which human responses are greatly challenged. The Peru 2013 expedition offers an opportunity to provide worthwhile support to a local cause, as well as gain scientific knowledge.

Students have an unique opportunity to get involved with hands on research in a "field" environment.

The project provides a fantastic opportunity to enhance students’ scientific skills through a number of research projects prior to, and throughout the trip.

Research projects

The staff and student research projects are designed to explore human tolerance to altitude, completing laboratory based testing prior to travel, and field based testing during the expedition.

The group will be running research studies investigating -

The role of hypoxia in fat and protein metabolism over acute exposure and adaptation.
Effectiveness of the use of heat shock protein up-regulation through heat acclimation to improve subsequent altitude tolerance.
The physiological impact of west-ward trans-meridian international travel to moderate altitude.
Cardiopulmonary responses to altitude and the prediction of altitude tolerance through prior acute hypoxic exposure.
The effect of acute and chronic altitude exposure physical activity and energy expenditure
Validation of a walking hypoxic tolerance test to predict susceptibility to acute mountain sickness while trekking at moderate altitude.

The research will involve staff and students acting as their own participants, completing maximal oxygen uptake tests, basal metabolic rate tests, heat acclimation, hypoxic tolerance tests and a battery of baseline physiological testing at sea level. These will be written for publication and the students will be involved in conducting and analysing the findings.

The project is led by:

Dr Alan Richardson, senior lecturer

Dr Neil Maxwell, principal lecturer

Mark Hayes, lecturer

Dr Peter Watt, reader

Oliver Gibson, PhD student

Ben Duncan, PhD student

Education and volunteering

The students will assume teaching responsibilities for orphaned children as well as implementing sporting activities and helping with the everyday running of two orphanages in Cuzco.

The volunteering project will allow students to experience different cultures and most importantly make a valuable contribution to the lives of individuals less fortunate.

The group of students will gain valuable life experience and self-realisation, which will be of significant benefit when developing their future lives and careers.

Students will learn employment skills through fundraising and through the volunteering in the Peruvian community.

The work at the orphanage will give students a unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of educating less fortunate individuals in a challenging and unfamiliar environment.

These life skills are not possible to teach in a normal academic environment demonstrating the uniqueness of this project.

Following the expedition an individual written report will form part of an independent study module for their course and thus directly relate to their on-going studies.

Continued trips to the region are planned to provide a real benefit to be seen in the community through the work of the students over a period of many years.

Adventure

The students and staff will also be trekking 45km through mountainous terrain to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu over four days. This will be an exhilarating and challenging experience, never to be forgotten.

Fundraising

The students taking part are working hard on fundraising for the trip through various activities they have organised independently. To receive additional support to paying for the volunteering aspect of the project would be of great value to the success of the project.

If you are interested in discussing the project or potential sponsorship, please contact Dr Alan Richardson, call 01273 643723 or email a.j.richardson@brighton.ac.uk

Follow the trip on Twitter - @UoB_Peru2013

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