CHRISTIAN J. LAMBERTSEN, MD, DSc (Hon) MEMORIAL KEYNOTE

GUEST SPEAKER: 
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Wednesday, June 4: 8:30 am - 10 am

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About the Speaker: 
 

CHRISTIAN J. LAMBERTSEN, MD, DSc (Hon) MEMORIAL KEYNOTE LECTURE
About Dr. Lambertsen:

Dr. Christian J. Lambertsen received a B.S. Degree from Rutgers University in 1938 and a M.D. Degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1943. During his medical school period, he invented and first used forms of the initial U.S. self-contained closed-circuit oxygen rebreathing apparatus, for neutral buoyancy underwater swimming and diving. As a student, he aided the early Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) in establishing the first cadres of U.S. military operational combat swimmers. Dr. Lambertsen became a U.S. Army medical officer on graduation from medical school in early 1943, and immediately joined the O.S.S. Maritime Unit on active duty through its period of function in World War II. He joined the University of Pennsylvania Medical Faculty in 1946, and became Professor of Pharmacology in 1952. While a faculty member he combined diving research and further underwater rebreathing equipment developments for the Army and Navy. In 1967 he served as Founding President of the Undersea Medical Society (now Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.) Dr. Lambertsen is recognized by the Naval Special Warfare community as "The Father of U.S. Combat Swimming.” His hand has touched every aspect of military and commercial diving. Dr. Lambertsen’s active contributions to diving began during WWII and became even more progressive in the post-war period through the evolutions of the U.S. Navy Deep Submergence and Naval Special Warfare developmental programs.