- Damon Shearer
- Diving Medical Officer
U.S. Navy
I was born and raised in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. I spent summers during my childhood navigating the back slews of the St. Croix River Valley and the lakes of Minnesota. We were a water family.
I graduated from Drake University, with a degree in biology and a minor in biochemistry. While attending Drake, I pursued research into the role of G proteins in the pathophysiology of heart disease.
My summers during college were devoted to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River where I worked as a whitewater rafting guide. It was an amazing job! Once again drawn back to the water!
I then decided on a career in medicine, and returned to Des Moines, Iowa to attend Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. I completed my studies in May of 2002. The day I graduated, I was commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Navy.
I commenced Active Duty service at Naval Medical Center San Diego. I completed an internship in Internal Medicine in 2003. While training at NMCSD, I developed a research interest in Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema (SIPE).
I was lucky enough to be selected by the Navy, for training in Undersea Medicine. I completed the six month curriculum in the summer of 2004 and immediately transferred to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit TWO in Norfolk, VA. I have had an excellent tour as the Diving Medical Officer at MDSU-2, learning an incredible amount about Navy diving. I’m very excited for my next billet as a DMO at Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR.
I am thrilled to be participating in NEEMO 9. I’m working with astronauts! Amazing! Additionally, I am very interested in the application of new technologies in the field of medicine, so the research being conducted during this NASA mission on tele-medicine, and remote surgery is truly fascinating.
I’m grateful for this opportunity!
