Introduction

A basic premise of studies conducted in the 1950s and 1960s was that humans exhibited a uniform set of biological responses to the high altitude environment. Since then, investigations have been carried out in the North American Rockies, South American Andes, and the Himalayas by researchers from a variety of disciplines—biological anthropology, respiratory physiology, cardiology, hematology, and nutrition. These studies have contributed important insights for understanding the mechanisms involved in adaptation to high altitude and have revealed possible differences in the strategies of adaptation exhibited by the world's various high altitude populations. However, the findings have sometimes been slow to percolate across disciplinary boundaries, given the tradition among the biological sciences to conduct research and present findings in specialized groupings. This symposium breaks this pattern by bringing together from several disciplines investigators who are actively involved in the conduct of high altitude studies. The interaction afforded enables us to realize that understanding the process of human adaptation to high altitude requires a holistic approach whereby the expertise of various scientific disciplines needs to be utilized in a synchronized and integrated manner.