Alternative Treatment of Altitude Sickness: Manual Medicine | Kelly Riis-Johannessen | TEDxChamonix

Have you ever wondered why some people get altitude sickness and others do not? Scientist Kelly Riis-Johannessen’s investigation into what happens to the brain at altitude resulted in the conception of a possible way to reduce the occurrence of Acute Mountain Sickness. In this talk, she shares her experience conducting research at a high-mountain medical lab and the exciting results that her experiments have yielded so far. Did you know that – aside from tourist-focused amenities and the approach to the Vallée Blanche – there is a research laboratory at the Aiguille du Midi top-station? Imagine what it must be like to be a scientist working in that lab – surely one of the highest and most scenic in the world! Kelly Riis-Johannessen has spent a significant amount of time in the L’Ifremmont Mountain Lab researching preventive treatments for Acute Mountain Sickness. A multitude of factors took her to the top. Her degree in osteopathy and an MSc in Applied Sciences, combined with her passion for mountain sports and her curiosity about altitude-induced illnesses, led her to join a team of like-minded researchers at the laboratory. Together, they are pursuing new approaches to treatment, under the banner of TAIA: Traitements Alternatifs de l’intolérance à l’Altitude. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at

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