Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is our great pleasure to invite you to participate in the 10th Chronic Hypoxia Symposium (CHS10) and the 2nd High Altitude Space Physiology Symposium, to be held February 1–6, 2027, in La Paz, Bolivia.

These meetings continue a tradition initiated by Prof. Dr. Gustavo Zubieta-Castillo, whose lifelong dedication to the study of high-altitude physiology helped establish the Chronic Hypoxia Symposia as a unique forum for open scientific dialogue and collaboration. His enthusiasm for discovery and his conviction that bold ideas often emerge from intuition continue to inspire the spirit of these gatherings.

Since the first symposia held in La Paz and the Andean region, the Chronic Hypoxia meetings have brought together scientists, clinicians, and researchers from around the world to exchange ideas on the physiological, medical, and environmental aspects of life under chronic hypoxia. Through international collaborations—including the Global Hypoxia Summit and the 4th International Conference on Chronic Hypoxia held in New Delhi, India (2012)—the symposium has expanded into a truly global scientific initiative.

The upcoming meeting in La Paz—the highest capital city in the world—offers a unique natural laboratory for the study of human adaptation to hypoxia. Continuing the original concept of the symposium as an itinerant scientific experience, participants will have the opportunity not only to present their research but also to observe firsthand the remarkable ways in which human populations live, work, and thrive at high altitude.

Among the topics that continue to inspire discussion is the concept of polyerythrocythemia, proposed by Gustavo Zubieta-Castillo to more precisely describe what is commonly known as Chronic Mountain Sickness. As research in hypoxia expands—from molecular biology and clinical medicine to aerospace physiology and human performance—the symposium provides an ideal setting to explore both established and emerging perspectives.

With the addition of the 2nd High Altitude Space Physiology Symposium, the 2027 meeting will also explore the intersections between high-altitude physiology and space medicine, highlighting how terrestrial hypoxia research informs our understanding of human physiology in extreme environments.

Above all, these symposia aim to foster open dialogue, intellectual curiosity, and collaborative exploration. As Gustavo Sr. often reminded us:

“Intuition surpasses intelligent logic”