Dr. Courtney Brown is a postdoctoral researcher living in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, and is co-supervised by Dr. Melissa Ilardo at the University of Utah and Professor Philip Ainslie at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Courtney's research primarily looks at positive adaptation to environmental stresses, for example low oxygen (i.e. hypoxia), in mammals and whether training may influence this response. During her MSc she looked at how negative responses to hypoxia could be attenuated by Losartan, a widely prescribed blood pressure lowering medication. She then pursued a PhD under Professor Philip Ainslie where she looked at phenotypes and metabolic signatures present in highly adapted free-divers (i.e. The Ama of Japan and northern elephant seals) compared to highly trained divers (i.e. Competitive free-divers). In the Ilardo lab, Courtney hopes to continue to explore the phenotypic adaptations and their genetic underpinnings in unique populations that have adapted positively to their distinct environmental stressors and how they compare to their highly trained counterparts that lack the same generational history.

Outside of the lab, Courtney is the Vice President of the Shuswap Cardiac Society, a charity that is spearheading several projects aimed at improving access to cardiac care in rural communities as well as elevating patient care by reducing administrative burden on physicians. When Courtney isn't working, you can often find her in the mountains either hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, or skiing.