That was the beginning of a journey that led him to a Ph.D. in physiology, a teaching position at UCSD's School of Medicine, and, since 1995, the directorship of the White Mountain Research Station.

Powell initially chose physiology as a middle path between ecology and molecular biology. His plan was to understand a wide range of life sciences. To remain a generalist.

Then, suddenly, without warning, he got hooked on research. While looking for a research project as an undergraduate, he discovered that no one knew how birds could tolerate such high altitudes while expending so much energy in flight. This was a problem he could sink his teeth into. He earned a Ph.D. in systemic physiology in 1978 at UC Davis and was awarded a year fellowship at the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Germany, one of the best respiratory physiology centers in the world. The experience at the Institute was rewarding but it also confirmed for him his interest in education. He missed the contact he previously had with students.

Today, Powell seems to exemplify the creative possibilities of dedication to both research and teaching. It's a mix that has its tensions. "How do you achieve the energy and concentration needed to focus on your core discipline while applying what you're learning to social and public health problems and to training the next generation of M.Ds and Ph.Ds?" he asks. Good question.

The distinction between pure and applied research is not always so clear-cut, but Powell feels that medical schools have often led the way in applying research.

"It's exciting that as a society we are still funding research to pursue the answers to basic scientific questions, some of which may initially seem esoteric." And he feels fortunate that he's been able to keep his research career going while pursuing educational and administrative interests.

"To be at the forefront of research is very seductive, but it can be hard to stay there and follow up your next idea and take it to the next level if you're involved in other things. I feel lucky that I've been able to keep my research career going. The way to do science is just to get into the lab. Administrative or budget problems will still be there when I come out."

Powell hasn't lost his commitment to teaching. He has been teaching at UCSD since 1980, and has been invited to teach at places as far-flung as Oxford and Montana State. Now a full professor in UCSD's School of Medicine, he teaches first year physiology and is chairing the Faculty Council Committee. He balances his schedule by enjoying his work. Powell recommends a book he's read, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...And It's All Small Stuff.

"You just have to realize you will never catch up. You're going to go home and you won't have done it all. For me, it was a very positive thing to take on the directorship of the Research Station. Rather than just focusing on how the lungs work, I'm working with economists, geologists, and astrophysicists. The variety keeps the work interesting."

The White Mountain Research Station, a multicampus UC research unit located near Bishop, California has hosted the work of ecologists, geologists, and astronomers, as well as physiologists, since 1950. Historically, the Station has been known for research in physiology and acclimatization to altitude. This research has been important for understanding the effects of low oxygen in the blood of those with heart and lung disease.

The Station's Summit Laboratory is the fourth highest high-altitude laboratory in the world at 14,246 feet. With four labs spanning 10,000 feet in altitude, White Mountain offers unique research opportunities in habitats and species, archaeological sites, and the effects of altitude change. The ancient Bristlecone pine trees are over 4,000 years old and provide a historical record of climate in the White Mountains. Archaeologists can place humans in this environment for over 1400 years, and the highest recorded elevation for Native American settlements in North America are near the Station.

While he's still studying variations on his basic question twenty years later - how do birds fly so high? - his early interest in environmental science continues to be his inspiration. And these days, not surprisingly, Powell is also asking broad questions like "What are the limits of environmental change that humans and other organisms can cope with?"

The link between our health and the environment is becoming clearer. "The training of physicians gives them the skills and tools necessary to answer scientific questions important to society. That is essentially what they do everyday when they diagnose disease. They can also look at the questions and the data to help society decide what is and is not important. Physicians have an important role to play in policy decisions, economic decisions, and decisions that affect our health as a society."

In fact, a new type of biomedical researcher and physician may be emerging. Powell is excited about his current graduate student who has chosen to combine the cutting edge techniques of modern molecular biology with the perspectives of whole animal physiology. "Now," he says, "you don't have to be a specialist in just one approach."

Powell looks forward to recruiting more physicians, scientists, and students to the Station who are interested in the links between health and the environment. New projects with collaborators from UCSD and other institutions include studies on the genetic determinants of physiological responses to hypoxia and plans to bring a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine to the high altitude laboratory for human studies during acclimatization.

And, of course, Powell also hopes to build a wind tunnel at the Station to help answer that pesky question. How do birds fly at such high altitudes?