Neurophysiologist. U.S. Navy, Research Physiologist, 1988 to 2016 - CDR(Ret) Hernández started diving in 1971 while in high school and went on to earn dual degrees in Marine Biology Technology and Scientific and Engineering Diving in 1975. In 1976 she became the first female Wage Marine NOAA Diver (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), while working as a Survey Tech aboard the NOAA Ship Oceanographer, RV-01. After several years at sea, René returned to college and earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Upon graduation she earned a commission in the US Navy in 1988 as a Research Physiologist. She integrated her neuroscience experience with her passion for diving while working at the Naval Medical Research Center in the Operational and Undersea Medicine Department researching how to predict hyperbaric oxygen toxicity in military Special Operations divers. She retired from the Navy in 2016 and is currently researching the effects of non-concussive blast exposures in US Special Operations Forces.