July2017-Newsletter
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Ever Upward: July 2017 2017 Award Winners of the Aerospace Medical Association Honors Night Ceremonies of the 88th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association were held May 4, 2017, at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel, Denver, CO. Twenty awards for outstanding contributions in aviation and space medicine were pre- sented. The presentations were made by David Gradwell, President of the Aerospace Medical Association, assisted by the chair of the Awards Committee, Dr. Jeff Myers. The winners were recommended by the Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee of the Aerospace Medical Association. LOUIS H. BAUER FOUNDERS AWARD California (2002–2004) as Science Advisor. She was adjunct Estrella Forster, Ph.D. professor of applied statistics and operations research at the graduate departments of Drexel University and the Florida This award was established to honor Louis H. Bauer, M.D., founder of Institute of Technology from 1994–2002. She joined the FAA the Aerospace Medical Association. It is given annually for the most significant contribution in aerospace medicine. It is sponsored by the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Mayo Clinic. OK, in November 2004, where she currently serves as the Estrella de María Forster y Cornejo, M.S., Ph.D., was the Manager of the Aerospace Medical Research Division. recipient of the 2017 Louis H. Bauer Founders Award. She Dr. Forster is a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Associ- was honored for her lifetime contributions and dedication to ation (AsMA) and currently serves on the AsMA Science & Aerospace Medicine and operations for over 30 years, both in Technology, Membership, and Scientific Program Commit- the United States and internationally. Her accomplishments tees. She also serves as chair of the AsMA Fellows Nomina- include leadership in civilian, academic, corporate, and mili- tion Committee. Honors include NAVAIR Fellow, U.S. tary roles, and pioneering scientific research in many areas, National Research Council Adviser, and member of the FAA with over 200 publications. She developed and demonstrated Acquisition Systems Advisory Group. She is a member of SAILSS, the only intelligent Aircrew Integrated Life Support other professional organizations, including the International System, and developed metrics to assess adaptive function al- Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine, the SAFE Associ- location, fatigue, and human performance in the acceleration ation, the MOVES Institute Science Board, the Iberoamerican environment. She also developed acceleration taxonomy and Association of Aerospace Medicine (IAAM, past president), has contributed extensive epidemiology research for the the International Association of Aerospace Dentistry (found- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ing member), and the AsMA Life Sciences and Biomedical Dr. Forster's experience encompasses 31 years of aerospace Engineering Branch (LSBEB, past president). Her most re- medicine RDT&E efforts. Her technical and program man- cent honors are the Naval Collaboration Award, by the U.S. agement accomplishments in the USAF and NAVAIR fo- Chief of Naval Research, the Outstanding Leadership Award, cused on aircrew systems, specifically life support equipment by the FAA’s Federal Air Surgeon (FAS), the A. Howard addressing acceleration, altitude, thermal, and chemical-bio- Hasbrook Award by the LSBEB, the Eric Liljencrantz Award logical environments. She introduced and delivered USN by AsMA, Employee of the Year Award by both the OK Aircrew Integrated Life Support Systems for high perfor- Federal Executive Board and CAMI, the Excellence Award by mance rotor and fixed wing aircraft. She also conceived, de- IAAM, the Outstanding Team Award by the FAS, and the veloped, and delivered the Collaborative Operations and Professional Excellence Award by the LSBEB. Responsive Technology Experimentation (CORTEX) facility, See Awards, p. N29 Third Fleet's Command Center with over 60 C4ISR systems and the latest advances in knowledge management technol- ogy. She secured the replacement of old and obsolete research equipment and facilities at CAMI through the Aerospace Medical Equipment Needs (AMEN) program, a multi-mil- lion dollar effort that involved aircraft simulators, horizontal sled, biochemistry equipment, and high performance com- puting technology. Her aeromedical research efforts at CAMI have included epidemi- ologic studies of disqualifying pathologies in civil aviation. Born in Mexico, Dr. Forster’s family moved to San Antonio, TX, in 1977. She graduated from the University of Houston, TX, with a B.S. in 1981, and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, in 1993 and 1998, respectively. Her professional career has included serv- ing at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, in Texas as Research Associate (1984–1989); USN NAVAIR Estrella Forster (center) accepts the award from Jeff Sventek in Pennsylvania and Maryland as Scientist, Branch Manager, (right), AsMA Executive Director, representing the Mayo Clinic, and Program Manager (1989–2002); and USN Third Fleet in and David Gradwell (left), AsMA President. Send information for publication in this newsletter to: Journal Department, AsMA; [email protected] N28 AsMA Newsletter • July 2017 From Awards, p. N28 Medical Officer for NAS New Orleans, as Senior Medical Officer for NAS Jacksonville and Chief of Preventive Me- ADMIRAL JOHN C. ADAMS AWARD RADM Daniel B. Lestage, USN(Ret.) dicine at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Jacksonville, as Head of the Operational Medicine Branch at OPNAV, and This award was established by the Society of U.S. Naval Flight Sur- as Executive Officer of Naval Regional Medical Center Ports- geons in honor of Admiral John C. Adams the award is given annu- mouth. His service also included operational support assign- ally for the most significant contributions to operational Aerospace ments such as Special Assistant for Operational Medical Medicine, either during a single defined period (e.g., deployment), or over a career. Support and Director of Aerospace Medicine, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and, concomitantly, as Head of the RADM Daniel B. Lestage, MC, USN(Ret.), was the recipi- Operational Medicine Branch, Aeromedical Coordi-nator, ent of the first annual Admiral John C. Adams Award for his Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare). Upon re- influence on the aeromedical operational forces of the U.S. tirement from the Navy, Dr. Lestage took a position with Navy. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida and served in several lead- Born in Louisiana, Rear Admiral Lestage completed his un- ership positions, retiring as a Vice President in 2006. dergraduate studies at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Rear Admiral Lestage’s military awards include the Legion Baton Rouge and then earned an M.D. at LSU’s School of of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Medicine in New Orleans. He was commissioned there as an Navy Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Ensign in the Naval reserve. After completing an internship Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Viet- at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, he reported to the Naval nam Presidential Gallantry Cross with Palm Citation. Per- School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, and became a sonal awards include the Captain Robert E. Mitchell Lifetime Naval Flight Surgeon in 1964. He later earned an M.P.H. de- Contributions in Naval Aerospace Medicine award from the gree from Tulane University and completed an Aerospace Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons and a President’s Cita- Medicine residency at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute tion from the Aerospace Medical Association in 2011. He is in Pensacola. certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, RADM Lestage’s initial operational tour (1965–1967) was where he has also served as a Trustee. He is a Fellow of the with Attack Squadron 163 of Carrier Air Wing 16 on the USS American College of Physicians, the American College of Oriskany deployed to Southeast Asia for 8 months in 1965 in Preventive Medicine, the American Academy of Family support of the growing tensions in Vietnam, carrying out Physicians, and the Aerospace Medical Association. He is a over 12,000 combat sorties and delivering nearly 10,000 tons Past President of the Aerospace Medical Association and the of ordnance. After a 5-month break, the Oriskany returned in International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine, and June 1966 to launch nearly 8,000 more combat sorties. On served as an AMA Delegate from 1994–2004. Quay Snyder, October 26, 1966 a magnesium flare accidentally ignited, cre- M.D., MSPH, President and CEO of the Aviation Medicine ating pressure that blew out the dogged hatch, ignited a heli- Advisory Service (AMAS), was the winner of the 2016 copter on the hangar deck, then exploded the flare locker re- Boothby-Edwards Award. Dr. Snyder was honored for his sulting in a fireball and additional aircraft fires. Although 44 tireless work towards policy, regulatory, and legislative health died of burns and smoke inhalation, 156 were saved in large and safety improvements. part due to Dr. Lestage’s efforts. Among the dead were the Dr. Lestage has been a passionate educator, advocate, and ship's Senior Medical Officer and the other Carrier Air Wing clinician who has promoted health, prevention of disease, Surgeon. Dr. Lestage and the ship's surgeon, with some assis- and medical certification of airline pilots internationally. He tance from medical personnel from the USS Constellation regularly contributes to Air Line Pilot Magazine, writing and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, managed this major mass ca- many articles on pilot health and disease prevention and has sualty. given numerous safety presentations at national pilot forums. Dr. Lestage ultimately influenced the aeromedical opera- His research efforts and advocacy led to changes in certifica- tional forces for 35 years of Naval service. During that time tion of HIV+ pilots and recommendations to national avia- he continued to support aeromedical operations as a Senior tion groups on laser eye hazards, cabin air quality, radiation exposure, and tropical disease prophylaxis.