Courtney Wheelock is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University at Buffalo, studying environmental and hyperbaric physiology. She first began scuba diving at the age of 14 with her dad and has since continued to enjoy the sport and its amazing opportunities. Being introduced to the underwater world at such a young age inspired her in many ways. While attending Indiana University, she majored in exercise science and minored in chemistry and psychology. She continued her scuba training through the school’s Center for Underwater Science by earning a Certificate of Underwater Resource Management. While participating in a field research study in the Dominican Republic she was introduced to scientific diving, which ultimately inspired her to pursue a career combining her degree in exercise science with dive research.

Courtney enrolled in the graduate program at the University at Buffalo to study exercise science and human performance in special environments, with a focus in dive physiology and hyperbaric medicine. Here, she completed her Master’s thesis examining manual dexterity in cold water conditions. During her graduate career, she has been involved in multiple hyperbaric studies aimed at improving military dive performance and mission readiness. Her doctoral research focuses on the effects of warm water immersion and heat acclimation on performance in acclimated and unacclimated individuals. This research will also include recovery from warm water immersion exposures and rehydration strategies for improved post-immersion performance. Her research interests also involve the effects of hypobaria on performance as it relates to diving at altitude and rapid ascents to altitude. 

She has continued her dive training by earning her Divemaster certification and intends to enroll in further courses in hyperbaric medicine. After earning her Ph.D., she plans to continue her research in hyperbaric physiology in a post-doctoral position. Her goal is to further the understanding of human underwater physiology and to contribute to guidelines that improve dive safety and performance for military, commercial, scientific, and recreational divers alike.