Hugh Montgomery

Dr. Hugh Montgomery is a Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at University College London (UCL) and Director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance. A clinician, scientist, and prolific researcher, he continues to work in an ICU in North London and has published nearly 600 scientific papers. He discovered the first “gene for human fitness” and has led pioneering research on cardiac growth, muscle atrophy, and the physiological response to exercise and hypoxia. He was the research lead for the Caudwell Xtreme Everest 2007 Expedition, investigating human adaptation to extreme altitudes, and co-reported the first genes linked to evolutionary selection in high-altitude populations. His work has contributed to understanding how the heart, muscles, and metabolism adapt to stress—both in extreme environments and in intensive care. A passionate endurance athlete, he is also an ultramarathon runner, experienced mountaineer (Alps, Andes, Himalayas), and, in an unusual feat, holds the World Record for Underwater Piano Playing.