What contributions can a virtually uninhabited continent like Antarctica offer to science? Since 1982, research by the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) has sought to answer this question in areas such as the environment, health and human behavior. It is in this context that, among researchers from several countries, Gabriel Lins, a neuroengineer from the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), from Pernambuco, represents Brazil in the “SaúdeAntar” mission, which seeks to better understand human aspects in the context of Antarctic isolation.
Promoted by the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) in partnership with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Heloísa Marinho Research Institute (IPHM), SAÚDEANTAR strengthens the development of strategies for maintaining mental health in Isolated, Confined and Extreme (ICE) environments.
A graduate in Biomedicine, Gabriel Lins is the first in his field to participate in research and the development of health-related technologies in Antarctica. He is one of the researchers immersed in the context of isolation, working on the investigation of how the material and symbolic conditions of the experience impact the origin and development of psychic manifestations.
According to the Neuroengineer, the research consists of two major phases, the first focusing on the acquisition of sociodemographic, emotional and specific data, such as sleep quality and the implementation of a holographic telecare system. The second, which begins in 2024, brings technological innovations to existing processes in the project's operations.
“The next phase will be called “SAÚDEANTAR-IA”, in which I have my greatest participation”, explains Gabriel Lins. His work will involve developing an application that will replace physical notebooks (used by the group for data collection), analyzing the data and, finally, implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to develop clinical support tools, aiming to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of care.
The researcher reports that he had already had contact with artificial intelligence during his undergraduate studies, as a user. During his Master's in Neuroengineering at ISD, Lins began to delve deeper into this field of knowledge, and as a master's project he developed a clinical decision support system in the form of an application, a solution similar to the technology he is producing in Antarctica.
“The postgraduate experience brought many benefits, not just directly linked to the project. For example, when I arrived at the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station, where I started talking to the Navy, which is our main support in this deployment, I was able to see some barriers they have, both on ships and in aviation, which could be resolved by solutions that we have in Neuroengineering”, points out the biomedical scientist.
Departing from the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station, a Brazilian base in Antarctica, the team of seven expedition members took a two-day journey to reach James Ross Island, where they will camp for 40 days, carrying out the project's research in total isolation.
Central issues in SAÚDEANTAR studies include correlations between the circadian cycle, which is the rhythm in which the body performs functions throughout the day, and different mood states. In addition, researchers seek to better understand social roles in the Antarctic environment, coping strategies in the adverse environment of isolation, and other aspects related to mental health. The work is carried out from a multidisciplinary approach, ranging from Psychiatry and Polar Psychology and Environment and Health, to studies of Gender, Body and Sexuality, Remote Matrixing and Telehealth.
ABOUT ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
