allyson hindle

Dr. Allyson Hindle, PhD, is a co-founder of Leap Biosystems, specializing in research and cardiovascular physiology.

Dr. Hindle is an Assistant Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She works as a comparative animal physiologist and research scientist in the Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research. She has degrees in Zoology from the University of Manitoba, and a PhD from Texas A&M University. She studies cardiovascular regulation, hypoxia tolerance, and muscle disuse atrophy in animals that naturally possess extreme physiological traits.

Breath-hold divers such as seals are exceptionally tolerant to hypoxia, and execute coordinated cardiovascular adjustments during diving in order to conserve on-board oxygen for critical tissues. Small-bodied hibernators cycle between bouts of cold torpor lasting several weeks and rapid rewarming arousal periods of less than a day. They must therefore orchestrate rapidly reversible metabolic depression, and undergo dramatic changes in body temperature, oxygen consumption and tissue perfusion without harm. By investigating the molecular mechanisms that regulate tissue perfusion, cellular health and protection from low oxygen conditions, she hopes to identify novel pathways with therapeutic potential in humans.

Allyson’s research combines whole-animal telemetry measurements with cell culture systems in the lab, including comparative genomics approaches to identify themes and gene targets in relation to humans. She has led field teams to Antarctica to study the physiology of deep diving Weddell seals.

Allyson was one of 32 finalists in the 2016-2017 Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Recruitment Campaign, a process that started with 3772 applicants for 2 astronaut positions that were filled during the summer of 2017. She was also a finalist in the 2009 Astronaut Recruitment Campaign.