sign in sign up
<<
Home , BioSentinel, Foton (satellite), NASA Academy, Sex in space

NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program 2017

Profile Book Moffett Field, CA NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program 2017 Profiles

Table of Contents

01 Introduction 04 Student Eligibility & Contact Information

Research Associates

09 Julia Adams University of California Santa Barbara

10 Sophie Benson Harvard University

11 Tristan Caro University of California Berkeley

12 Sawan Dalal University of Houston

13 Aimee Johnson University of Colorado Denver

14 Ons M'Saad Massachusetts Institute of Technology

15 Lily Neff Wesley College

16 Andrew Pelos Pomona College

17 Esther Putman University of Kentucky

18 Maya Ramachandran Columbia University Staff and Management

20 Sidney Sun 21 Elizabeth Taylor 22 Brad Bailey 23 Desi Bridges 24 Kristina Gibbs 25 Jon Rask 26 Onalli Gunasekara 27 Joseph (Niko) Vlastos Mentors

29 Eduardo Almeida

30 Josh Alwood 31 Sharmila Bhattacharya 32 Elizabeth Blaber 33 Sylvain Costes 34 Homer Fogle 35 Terry Fong 36 Jonathan Galazka 37 Rush K. Globus 38 John Hogan 39 Rusty Hunt 40 April Ronca 41 Sergio Santa Maria 42 Ann-Sofie Schreurs 43 David Smith 44 Uland Wong NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program Introduction

The NASA Ames Space Life Sciences Training Program is a unique summer institute of higher learning. The objective is to produce technically skilled scientists and engineers with the potential to become leaders in the U.S. space program by providing a glimpse into the many disciplines that are required to conduct biological research in space. The success of the Space Life Sciences Training Program is a result of the interaction of government, academia, and the private sector with each sector playing an essential and different role in the program.

NASA’s charter, written in the 1958 Space Act, gives NASA the main role of using and exploring space for the betterment of humankind. Congress and the President have supported and directed NASA as its programs have evolved. President John F. Kennedy’s challenged the country and the agency to put a man on the by the end of the 60’s. Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon proved that the US and NASA were up to the challenge. Since Apollo, the Skylab missions, the Space Shuttle, and now the International Space Station have shown that humans can continually live in space and travel to and from space on a frequent basis. Unmanned such as Kepler, Hubble, and Galileo have expanded our understanding of the universe. Aeronautics research is a continuing endeavor, producing technologies that allow aircraft to fly faster, farther, more efficiently, and more quietly.

As part of the human exploration mission, NASA conducts biological research. NASA studies how traveling into space affects humans and other living . Astronauts experience bone and muscle loss, as well as a range of other physiological changes. Mice and rats exhibit similar changes, while bacteria become more virulent. Plants grow differently because of the absence of gravity. Researchers throughout NASA are studying life in space, defining ways to make space travel safer for astronauts, and the fundamental mechanisms that trigger the changes in living organisms. Biotechnology research is also important to NASA. The agency looks at bioengineering organisms to perform critical functions on a space mission, such as life support and food production. Recent advances in biotechnology are giving researchers insight into how genomic data is different for life in space.

The NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) is located at Moffett Field, CA in the heart of Silicon Valley. It offers new insights about the universe, planetary systems, and the life sciences. Technologies developed at NASA Ames enable exciting new ventures in aeronautics and and have impacted quotidian life on Earth. The results from research at Ames have significantly influenced national and international policy, enabled most of the major space missions of the past thirty years, and contributed science discoveries and engineering insights that have revolutionized fields. In the process of these endeavors, Ames has made numerous contributions to environmental protection, public health, and the nation’s economic well-being. Ames is a pioneer in the application of the multidisciplinary approach in science, technology, and projects. Multidisciplinary approaches are flexible and tend to stimulate innovative concepts. Successful application of this technique requires a deep appreciation for the talents, skills, and insights of individuals. Today, more and more scientists and advanced technology industries are using this approach with remarkable results.

It is in the spirit of shared discovery and the synthesis of diverse talents that Ames offers the NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program. Students contribute to all aspects of successful multidisciplinary research on Earth, be it: in the air or in space. They experience the entire project process including the formulation of an idea, the procurement of goods and services necessary to develop it, the management, marketing, and manufacturing necessary to turn their concepts into reality. Space Life Sciences Training Program History

The SLSTP at NASA Ames is based on an extremely successful program begun at NASA called the NASA Spaceflight and Life Science Training Program in 1985. The Kennedy SLSTP begun under the leadership of the late Dr. Gerald Soffen, former Director of the Office of University Programs at Goddard Space Flight Center. The Ames SLSTP is unique in that it focuses on integrating the expertise of multiple disciplines into the space life sciences to gain a better and more comprehensive understanding of what is taking place today in the Space Program and thus, mold its future . SLSTP at NASA Ames provides opportunities usually unavailable to those outside and within the Agency. The objective of the program is to research associates to various aspects of NASA and the Space Program. Topics include, but are not limited to: current research projects, developing the unique tools necessary for discoveries in space, tracing the progress of an idea from concept through completion, technology development through flight operations, data analysis to publication, the acquisition and communication of knowledge and its impact on science and society.

In 1993, the first SLSTP was formed at Kennedy Space Center. Twenty students, undergraduate and graduate, took part. Due to its success it was duplicated the following year, adding four more students and a staff member to the program. In 2013, NASA Ames restarted the Space Life Sciences Training Program to support biosciences research at the center. As Director, Jon Rask heads the SLSTP at NASA Ames. The 2017 SLSTP support staff will be Niko Vlastos and Onalli Gunasekara, both of whom are alumni of the 2016 SLSTP and MARTI at NASA Ames. Kristina Gibbs, Brad Bailey, Desireemoi Bridges, and Hami Ray are all part of the SLSTP Management Team.

Ames SLSTP Program Structure

SLSTP is designed to operate as a joint effort with equal input, ideas, and energy coming from both the SLSTP Management Team and the research associates. The group meetings and discussions form part of the experience, which will help to shape SLSTP to your specific goals and interests.

The program runs from the second week of June to the third week of August. These dates were selected to give most students a respite before returning to the complexities of school life. This is a compromise as no two schools have identical schedules. It is important that the students commence and complete the program together. The success of the SLSTP ultimately depends on the students. The program does not accept people who are not able to attend this entire period. All students must be U.S. citizens or residents.

One goal of SLSTP is to ensure that the students interact as a “team.” Activities spark the development of each student’s leadership qualities. All students are housed in apartments at the NASA Ames Exchange Lodge. Transportation is provided each day and for weekend activities.

The students go on several trips on the weekends. These include trips to the other NASA Centers, such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratories and the Armstrong Flight Research Center. Shorter trips to Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and other areas of interest in the West are also made. The students plan additional weekend trips when they arrive. Each of the ten weeks are a unique group experience, but at the same time the student are working on a research project with investigators in the Ames’ laboratories or on the group projects. Group Project

Throughout the summer the research associates participate in a group project. The final result is an official project plan with the potential for implementation at NASA Ames. The SLSTP students self-organize into a mock company while Elizabeth Taylor, the Ames Space Project Manager, acts as the NASA customer. Presentations by the students throughout the summer deliver components of the project plan as they are developed. The project leverages the individual strengths of the individuals within the group while still providing a complex scientific and engineering challenge. All aspects of project development are carefully considered including, but not limited to, feasibility, importance, science requirements, launch vehicles, concept of operations, data collection, and flight instructions.

This project is intended to be a lesson in management, collaboration, and exploration. By the end of the summer the complete project plan will be presented to a board of experts from the Ames Research Center. Student Eligibility

To be eligible for the Space Life Sciences Training Program, students must: • demonstrate an interest in space biosciences • enroll as a junior, senior, or graduate student as of June 1 of the program year • maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA • concentrate in science (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.), math, engineering, computer science, or other areas of interest to the space biosciences • be a US citizen or permanent resident as of June 1 of the program year

Contact Information

NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program information can be obtained through: https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-life-sciences-training-program

Telephone: (650) 604-5363

E-mail: jon.c.rask@.gov

U.S. Mail: Jon Rask NASA Ames Research Center Building T20G-2 R120 Moffett Field, CA 94035 2017 Research Associates Julia Adams E-mail address: [email protected] University of California Santa Barbara:

Project: Skeletal responses to long-duration simulated

PI: Ruth Globus My exposure to science started before I was born and has continued to the present day. There are pictures of my mother working at a microscope while 8 months pregnant with me (go moms!!) and my summer breaks as a child were spent in a laboratory along side my parents, mixing various “chemicals”, or water with food coloring, while practicing my micropipetting techniques. My for space lies in my interest of the infinite and began while identifying constellations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where I was fascinated by the what lie behind the stars and planets I could see. The first time I caught clear image of the Milky Way on cloudless, clear night, my dream of being a part of NASA was created. At UC Santa Barbara, I explored various science majors as well as philosophy and political science. However, my constant need to understand the biological systems around me and the factors responsible led to my decision to pursue microbiology. I am particularly interested in viruses and their evasion techniques against the human body’s immune system. During my first year at UCSB, I began working as a research assistant in the Kippin lab studying addiction patterns of psychostimulants in the presence of competing food reinforcers. Now completing my third year at UCSB, I work as a lab technician studying operant behavior and the effects of underlying sexual dimorphisms on opioid addiction with the use of the self-administration model. After I complete my undergraduate career, I plan on pursuing a Ph.D in the field of microbiology. In my free time I like to be active, whether it is at the gym, the beach, or in the mountains. I love nature in all its forms and I am fortunate enough to live in an area with beach and mountains in close proximity. I am also very interested in politics and during election season this past fall, I campaigned for a district county supervisor and provided multiple young adults in my community with the opportunity to become registered to vote. Throughout my life, I have developed a passion for the research process as I am constantly reminded it is crucial to question everything. I am honored and excited to continue this passion at Ames as it is a dream come true to work at NASA under the mentorship of the brightest minds in space biology! Sophie Benson E-mail address: [email protected] Harvard University Human Biology

Project: Effects of 2G on Gene Expression of Stress-Related Hormones in the Rat Placenta

PI: April Ronca

I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but my family moved to Maine when I was two years old. The best part about growing up in Maine was getting to spend so much time outdoors hiking, skiing and looking up at the stars. From an early age I’ve been fascinated with the natural world, the beautiful laws of physics that govern it and all the diverse iterations of life that inhabit it. My favorite books growing up were written by Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, and my favorite shows were documentaries about the curvature of spacetime and alien planets. When asked where I wanted to be in ten years for my high school yearbook, I responded “.” I am a very curious person - I’m always searching for answers to the fundamental questions of existence. At Harvard, I study Human with a minor in Astrophysics. I am very interested in how evolutionary selection pressures shaped the physiological and behavioral mechanisms we and other organisms possess, especially given many of those same selection pressures don’t exist in the industrialized environment we find ourselves in today. I am also very interested in the origins of life, and the prospect of finding life in the universe, especially given the ecological constraints and vast distances between viable planets. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in Jack Szostak’s Lab, where I assisted in research on the emergence of the first forms of life on earth. The same summer, I helped to produce some of the science programming at NOVA that I drooled over as a child (and still do honestly). As someone whose passion for science blossomed in part thanks to these documentaries, and someone who studies a subject that has been publicly treated with skepticism, I think science education is extremely important. It was amazing to be involved in both scientific research and science journalism concurrently. When I’m not nerding out, I love to read, sew, and paint. I also love spending time outside, especially skiing - I learned to ski around the time I learned to walk. Before beginning college, I took a year off and spent three months of that year training as an internationally certified ski instructor in Tignes, France. Words cannot express how lucky I feel to be participating in NASA’s SLSTP this summer. It will be amazing to learn more about the research being conducted at NASA, gain relevant skills, and learn from some of the best advisors and peers in the world. Tristan Caro E-mail address: [email protected] University of California Berkeley Cellular Biology

Project: Exposing Microorganisms in the Stratosphere (E-MIST)

PI: David Smith From an early age, curiosity and exploration have been a central part of my life. I grew up in a forested area of New York State and spent much of my free time wandering, hiking unexplored terrain, and investigating the wildlife that inhabited the woods. This incessant need to explore followed me when I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and into academics. While I still find myself using free time to hike in wilderness, explored or unexplored, I see scientific investigation as an extension of this attitude. When I enrolled at UC Berkeley, I thought I would study Cognitive Science and human-interface interactions. The ways in which the human mind perceives and interprets visual stimuli has always fascinated me. However, it didn’t take long for me to catch the microbiology bug. It took a freshman seminar on pathogenesis and stumbling across academic papers on to get me completely hooked. After a quick pivot, I began studying cell biology in full force. In my third year at UC Berkeley, I began working with Dr. Britt Koskella in studying microbial ecology, evolution, and coevolution. We are investigating how species interactions create genetic diversity within and between populations, specifically focusing on the plant pathogen Erwinia Amylovora. My love for microbial biology is not isolated. At Berkeley, I was lucky enough to discover a small but powerful group of engineers and ham radio enthusiasts who were planning to launch a weather balloon to the stratosphere. Ham radio is a quirky yet powerful intersection of computer science, planetary and atmospheric science, physics, and engineering. As a Ham myself, and equipped with knowledge of the NASA’s E-MIST project, LSU’s LAMB mission, and a plethora of stratospheric microbiology work, I jumped at the opportunity to carry out my own experiment at 100,000ft. Working under the consultation of Tom Zajdel, a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, I combined microbiology theory with engineering in order to design, prototype, and manufacture a viable module for capturing bacteria and fungi in the stratosphere. I am extremely excited to begin my internship at NASA Ames Research Center during the summer. I have been following the work of stratospheric microbiology for quite some time. Even though the road to stratospheric microbiology is difficult, due to the nature of the experiments (how often do you see your science fly away from you on a balloon?), I am driven to continue by the words of a fellow stratosphere microbio researcher: “If it were easy, someone would have done it already.” Sawan Dalal E-mail address: [email protected] University of Houston Biology

Project: Development & testing of radiation biosensors for NASA's BioSentinel mission

PI: Sergio Santa Maria, Sharmila Bhattacharya I grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas: a small, conservative town 50 miles south of Houston. Growing up around a physician, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. As a kid, I liked helping people and thought the science behind medicine was cool. My parents let me decide if I wanted to stay in Lake Jackson for high school or go to another school in Houston - Debakey High School for Health Professions. It was a big decision for a 14-year-old, but I decided to go. I entered high school thinking I would one day become a neurologist or cardiologist, a “cool” specialty according to me and my nerdy friends. After shadowing several doctors throughout high school and college and working as an EMT, I was back to square one. I still had no idea what field of medicine I would pursue. You can figure this out later Sawan. The next step in the pre-med process was the MCAT, so I blocked off the entire 2016 summer to study for it, giving myself the first two weeks to plan my schedule and destress from my brutal spring semester. My version of destressing was listening to new music: I discovered the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. While I was browsing their songs on YouTube, I found one called "Up In The Air". The song was pretty good, but then I noticed another video in the related videos section. It was a question and answer session with the band and astronaut Tom Marshburn, who was currently on the ISS at the time. As a big space-program-NASA-related-everything junkie, of course I clicked on the video link. It was just a typical Q&A session about the “how do you do [this] in space?” questions until Dr. Marshburn said, "As a physician in space………..." *pause* "WHAT?!" (Yes, I screamed.) Commence hours-long web searches of Dr. Marshburn, several other physician astronauts, and 20+ NASA internships and summer programs. I had finally figured it out. For the longest time, I had been interested in all things space, but I thought careers in NASA were rare and difficult to get into. But now, I’m reconsidering those thoughts. The growing frontier of space science draws me to pursue aerospace medicine, a relatively new, versatile field in which I can conduct novel research with astronauts but also take care of them under the same roof. I want to study the effects of microgravity and extreme radiation on the human body and help prepare our astronauts for their long stays on the International Space Station and eventually Mars. Bone loss, muscle loss, cardiovascular changes, neuromotor adaptation. All of it. So here is my plan: finish college and medical school, complete a residency in internal or emergency medicine, follow up with a fellowship in aerospace medicine and masters (or Ph.D.) in space life sciences, and work for NASA as a flight surgeon. When I got the call notifying me of my acceptance into SLSTP, I nearly screamed. Things are working out, and I’m excited for what the future holds. Aimee Johnson E-mail address: [email protected] University of Colorado Denver Public Health

Project: Studies in Bone Biology and Biomechanics

PI: Josh Alwood, PhD My full name is Aimee Kinlichiinii Johnson, but most people call me Aimee. I originate from a very small town in the southwest region of Colorado with a population of about one thousand people. As you’ll notice my middle name not only rhymes with fettuccine, but is unique. I am one-half Native American and an enrolled member of the Navajo tribe. My culture is a defining part of who I am and has aided in forming my values and aspirations. I am currently finishing-up my bachelor of science degree at the University of Colorado - Denver and applying to get my master's in molecular and cellular medicine at the University of Arizona. When I am not studying for school or help run one of my student organizations I am working, eating, playing volleyball or going for a run at Red Rocks Ampitheater. Since April 2014 I have been lucky enough to work as a professional research assistant at Children’s Hospital Colorado. At CHCO I work on several clinical research studies in the department of pediatric endocrinology. One of the aspects of my job I enjoy most is the variety of working conditions I come across every day. My time is divided between conducting study visits in clinic, running urine assays in the lab, and entering data at my desk. The main project I work on is a longitudinal study that examines the effects of metformin on adolescents who are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is commonly seen in adults, but more recently we are seeing adolescents being diagnosed at a young age. We are essentially investigating if the hormonal changes that occur during puberty aid in the development of type 2 diabetes. Last summer I was fortunate enough to intern at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA; in which I helped develop a genetic mapping program that analyzed the many mutations of solid tumor cancer patients. In January of 2014 I transferred to the University of Colorado Denver in response to one of the most difficult decisions I have made during my adulthood. At the age of 11 I found the love of my life, volleyball. When I was in high school I received scholarship offers from various universities to play on their teams, and after high school I decided to enroll in a small college in Colorado. This enabled me to stay near my family and continue to play volleyball. As I began to worry about what I was going to do after volleyball I quickly realized it was time to retire as a college athlete and focus on my professional and educational development, which was a decision that ultimately brought me to where I am now. In retrospect, setting volleyball aside for my main focus was one of the most difficult decisions I have made. Alternatively, it was also incredibly beneficial. At the University of Colorado - Denver I was exposed to opportunities that I would have missed if I had I not made the leap. Opportunities such as being apart of various student organization, internships, working at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and attending various conferences. In fact, during the summer of 2015 I was given a scholarship through my university to attend the International Space Station Research and Developmental Conference, which literally changed my life. Ever since this conference I have been borderline obsessed with , research on the international space station, and the mission to Mars. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to apply my passions for both space and science at Ames research center this summer! Ons M'Saad E-mail address: [email protected] Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bioengineering

Project: Candidate nutritional countermeasure to mitigate adverse effects of spaceflight

PI: Ann-Sofie Schreurs, Ruth Globus My true childhood dream was to become an astronaut. I was certain that I would join women like Sally Ride or Kalpana Chawla in my mission to space. “You’re the imagination of yourself,” I thought. And it was perhaps hosting Astronaut Robert L. Behnken at my high school in my hometown of Tunis, Tunisia that revitalized this dream. I saw in him what I could see in myself. I studied hard and got accepted into MIT.

At MIT, I was intrigued by the extraordinary idea of engineering the fundamental unit of life – our proper cells. I had the privilege to conduct original research at the Amon Lab for almost two years where I studied first-hand the consequences of disrupting the assembly checkpoint (SAC) in immortalized human retinal cells. Together with my supervisor, we demonstrated that the resulting aneuploidy causes genomic instability, DNA damage, and increased carcinogenic potential. After automating image analysis, I spent countless hours in the lab beneath the neon lights of a fluorescent microscope gathering data. Consequently, I developed an immense interest in microscopy and optics. As such, this past summer, I had the opportunity to build a phase contrast microscope and a confocal reflection phase microscope under the supervision of Professor Peter So. Furthermore, following my excellence in the graduate optics course, Professor Barbastathis offered me the opportunity to join the MIT 3D Optics Group. I am now the optical design lead in a team of graduate students and postdocs that aim to recover the phase of coherent light fields given intensity measurements using machine learning approaches.

Although proud of my accomplishments, I’ve always felt that I was not true to my childhood dream as I did not pursue my passion for space exploration. I would get an overwhelming feeling of wistfulness whenever I attended planetary observing events at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics or at the Charles Hayden Planetarium in Boston. I even attempted to use my new background in optics in a Space Lasercom course at the Lincoln Lab to get a glimpse of current advances in . However, last year, I was fortunate enough to meet a 2015 SLSTP alumna who shared with me his experience studying hypergravity Induced oxidative stress in Drosophila. Learning about his research experiences at NASA Ames and reading about Astronaut Kate Rubin’s molecular biology research on the ISS was a defining point in my life as I realized that I could in fact combine my research interests in biology with my passion for space exploration.

The prospect of life beyond earth is extraordinary and I find it profoundly fascinating. If our primitive ancestors dared to make their way into unfamiliar territories on earth in search of better opportunities, I believe we must direct our genius to explore life in space. Hence, I’m very excited to be part of SLSTP as it will make my dream of working at the interface between biological engineering and space research at NASA a reality. Lily Neff E-mail address: [email protected]

Wesley College

Project: Synthetic biology for solar system exploration: How do microbes respond to spaceflight and how can we utilize them for in situ manufacturing PI: Jonathan Galazka My passion for science began in high school when I had the opportunity to take a diverse course load such as marine biology, environment science, and chemistry. These courses helped to cement the decision to pursue science after graduation. Also, I took the opportunity to join three honor societies, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and National Arts Honor Society. I am currently majoring in Biological Chemistry at Wesley College. Due the opportunities presented to me by my academic advisor, I have been working as a lab assistant and completing Directed Research since my freshman, fall semester of 2015. My project focused on implementing the online chemical inventory platform, Quartzy, to facilitate the correct storage, tracking, and disposal of hazardous chemicals, improve budget practices, and ensure safe practices and regulations were followed. This research has allowed me to present, Prudent Practices in the Storage, Handling, and Disposal of Laboratory Chemicals, at the 251st National ACS Meeting in San Diego, California where I received an award by the American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry. Over the summer of 2016, I completed an internship at Wesley College to analyze the distribution of pigments using UV spectroscopy at various sites of the St. Jones River in order to examine the current water quality. Along with this, I continued to implement the online inventory platform, Quartzy, into our science department. The findings from my summer internship were presented at the University of Delaware's Undergraduate Research & Service Scholar Celebratory Symposium on August 11, 2016 with two posters, Vertical Distribution of Photosynthetic Pigments in Silver Lake (Dover, DE) and Using Freeware (Quartzy) to Facilitate Chemical Inventory and Safety. Beginning my sophomore, fall academic semester of 2016, I have been completing microbial research where I identify unknown microbial isolates from old cryogenic stock. Currently, there is no catalogue present with the identification of these isolates, so I have been using the Biolog Microbial Identification System in order to identify these cultures. This has allowed me to use both anaerobic aseptic and aerobic aseptic techniques to revive these microbes from long term storage. Along with this, since the spring academic semester of 2017, I have been helping the microbiology lab preparations by culturing the necessary microorganisms for lab each week. On April 26th, 2017 I had the opportunity to meet with congress members to discuss my research, Inventory platform manages chemical risks, addresses chemical accountability, and measures cost-effectiveness. I am a member of the Delaware Chapter of Alpha Chi National Honor Society, known for accepting the top 10% of juniors, seniors, and graduates of all majors. Along with this, I have obtained scholarships sponsored by EPSCoR, DEDO, and the NASA DESGC. In my spare time, I enjoy creating art, crafting origami, and completing model cars. I look forward to participating in NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training Program at the Ames Research Center because of the new techniques and concepts it will provide me. Post-graduation I wish to complete research and a fellowship through the Department of Defense. Andrew Pelos E-mail address: [email protected]

Pomona College Molecular Biology, Gender & Women’s Studies

Project: Examining hypergravity-induced degeneration of the dopaminergic neuronal system in Drosophila melanogaster

PI: Sharmila Bhattacharya

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by the unknown. Growing up, I lost myself in sci-fi books, nerdy TV shows, and adventure games, and always thought I’d end up a fantasy writer. Throughout high school, I discovered a passion for science that came from that same place of escapism and yearning for more: by working to expand the boundaries of what we know and using it to change how we live, research is the equivalent of magic for me. Since I caught the inquisitive scientist bug, I’ve gotten as involved as I can in working to answer every question I can find! In my senior year of high school and the following two summers, I interned in the NASA Ames Earth Sciences department, working on several projects examining the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and multispectral imaging to map coral reefs and garner better marine life data as a member of the Laboratory for Advanced Sensing. In college, I’ve worked in a neurobiology lab for two years, looking specifically at therapeutic targets for enhancing hippocampal long-term potentiation in Alzheimer’s model mice. I honestly haven’t touched a branch of science that I haven’t loved, and I can’t wait to keep asking and answering questions throughout my life and career.

In addition to my scientific curiosity, I have a fierce commitment to fostering diversity in my academic and professional environments. Throughout the past few years, I have campaigned for LGBT awareness on my college campus, at home, and at work. While at Ames the past two summers, I helped run the LGBT awareness group and organized the center’s float at the SF Pride Parade. Especially in today’s political environment in this country, we all have a responsibility to challenge hegemonic systems and their political ramifications. To me, science can never be separated from politics, and – as a scientist, citizen, and queer activist – I will continue to stand up against inequities in all aspects of my life and career.

I’m a rising Junior double majoring in Molecular Biology and Gender & Women’s Studies at Pomona College. While learning as much as I can about the biosciences, I’ve been increasingly fascinated with questions about the roles of science and medicine in creating and enforcing policy, and I hope to get involved with research that allows me to address large-scale problems from the scientific, social, and political spheres. Outside of classrooms and laboratories, I’ve been active in mentoring programs for first-years and queer students at Pomona, and I’m a vice president on our student senate. I also love to sing and perform in musical theater productions, play the piano, and am an avid rock climber. I’m super excited to be returning to Ames this summer for the SLSTP program, and I can’t wait to join such an incredible cohort of peers and mentors! Esther Putman E-mail address: [email protected]

University of Kentucky Neuroscience and Biology

Project: The Influence of Mechanical Unloading on Stem Cell-Based Tissue Regeneration

PI: Elizabeth Blaber, (Eduardo Almeida) Unlike most children, I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an astronaut. Don’t get me wrong- I loved gazing towards the stars and learning all about the . But I fantasized that I would one day be an agent with the CIA, traveling the world and fighting crime. When I realized that the world of espionage wasn’t quite the same as depicted on television shows, I began to change my endeavors. With a love for everything math and science related, I started to think that my future was in medicine. However, during a 5-week summer program where I majored in astronomy, I fell deeply in love with space. As I ventured into my senior year of high school, I looked for ways to combine this new-found passion for space with my love for medicine. Aerospace Medicine became my new career focus.

I began conducting research my senior year of high school, investigating the way that the brain responds to Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury. I’ve continued research with this lab ever since, delving further into research behind genetic mechanisms that influence vascular dementia pathologies. This experience fostered my interest in lab work, as I began to see how exciting it could be to explore a specific question and understand the reasoning behind why the body functions in the way that it does.

I just finished my sophomore year at the University of Kentucky, where I am pursuing dual degrees in Biology and Neuroscience, with a minor in Physics. I am on a pre-medical track, and I am a member of the BS/MD accelerated pre-medicine program through UK’s college of medicine. After I graduate, I hope to get my master’s degree in either biomedical engineering or aerospace physiology. I then hope to attend medical school through the Health Professional Scholar’s Program with the Department of Defense, serving as a physician in the military, and hopefully one day, a physician for astronauts. My dream is to help overcome the health barriers of long term space flight, making space exploration safe and accessible for commercial applications.

However, my passion extends far beyond venturing into space. I have an immense passion for using what we learn from the extreme environment of space to help us make medical advancements here on earth. This type of research plays a big role in what I do as an intern with Space Tango. Space Tango is a start-up company in Lexington, KY that facilitates commercial research on the international space station. As a biological systems intern, I help research teams integrate their experiments into our cube lab systems, as well as running basic experiments to test design limitations, and proposing experiments that allow us to explore new systems.

I’m incredibly excited to further these passions through research this summer at NASA Ames, and I’m even more excited to meet other people who see microgravity as a resource, rather than just a barrier to overcome. Maya Ramachandran E-mail address: [email protected]

Columbia University Biology

Project: GeneLab Data Curation and Analysis

PI: Homer Fogle, (Sylvain Costes) Growing up in Columbia, Missouri, I was equally fascinated and intimidated by the sciences. I loved learning about everything from plate tectonics to astrophysics, but was overwhelmed by the huge body of scientific knowledge. Thanks to amazing teachers, including an English teacher who doubled as my Science Olympiad coach, I learned to love the challenge of delving into science literature.

In high school, I worked in Dr. Raghuraman Kannan’s lab synthesizing gold nanorods for cancer diagnostics. While I initially didn’t understand much of what I was doing, I was fascinated by the interplay of physics, chemistry, and biology that explained the functionality of these gold nanorods. Working in Dr. Kannan’s lab sparked my desire to pursue the sciences and gave me the skills I needed to understand difficult concepts and techniques.

Entering Columbia University, I was excited about a variety of subjects, including French postcolonial literature and South Asian studies. Towards the end of my first year, I began working in Dr. Carol Troy’s lab, and was reminded once again how much I love science research. After a few months, I was tasked with my first independent research project investigating local protein synthesis in axons. Since that first independent project, I have been fortunate to grow as an independent researcher, investigating not only axon maintenance, but also genomic data in clinical trial repositories and protein translation in the context of breast cancer.

I’ve spent the past two years working in Professor Ruben Gonzalez’s lab probing an alternate pathway for translation initiation that serves as the basis for breast cancer angiogenesis. Thanks to a generous fellowship from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, I’ve had the incredible fortune of presenting my research at conferences held by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the RNA Society. Each of these opportunities has made me realize that scientific research is not just a single group’s endeavor, but rather a shared, global pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Aside from research, I am passionate about sustainability and health equity initiatives. A few years ago, I cofounded the Medical Informatics Society at Columbia to host lectures and workshops related to health technologies and advocate for health informatics curricula at the undergraduate level.

This summer, I’m thrilled to join an amazing community of NASA SLSTP interns. I’m excited to explore how gene expression is affected by microgravity at NASA GeneLab before returning to Columbia University to pursue my masters in data science. 2017 SLSTP Staff and Management Sidney Sun E-mail address: [email protected]

Chief of the Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Sidney Sun has been leading the Space Biosciences Division at NASA's Ames Research Center since February 2011. This position is an outgrowth of his experience leading research and development efforts in a multitude of areas, including space biology, space technology, information systems, and spaceflight systems development. Following his lifelong dream that started as a child watching every Apollo moon landing, Mr. Sun is committed to space exploration, eager to see how humans and other living systems can prosper as they travel great distances into space.

Mr. Sun has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve, and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He started his career at NASA in 1988, working on early concepts for a biology laboratory for the International Space Station. Space biology has been the central theme to his career at NASA Ames, including assignments as project manager for the Life Sciences Glovebox, Specimen Chamber Service Unit, and Lab-Scale Controlled Ecological Life Support System. His first management assignment came in 1998, when he was Staff Assistant to the Deputy Director of Ames. From 2000 to 2006, he served as Deputy Chief of the Life Sciences Division, the organization that would eventually become the Space Biosciences Division. More recently, he’s served as: Project Manager for ISS Research, Deputy Project Manager of Constellation Data Systems, and Project Manager for Lunar Lander Collaborations.

As a Certified Professional Coach (certification from New Ventures West), Mr. Sun helps others become stronger leaders. By blending a supportive one-on-one approach with an indepth knowledge of the challenges facing leaders today, he helps agency personnel to define and achieve professional and personal goals. Within his own career, he’s received two individual leadership awards from Ames, as well as awards from the NASA Program, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Federal Asian Pacific American Council. He’s also been cited on numerous NASA Group Achievement Awards. Elizabeth Taylor E-mail address: [email protected]

Manager of the Space Biology Project NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Today, Elizabeth Taylor is the Manager of the Space Biology Project at NASA Ames Research Center, in Moffett Field, California. Space Biology at NASA has three primary goals: 1) to effectively use microgravity and the other characteristics of the to enhance our understanding of fundamental biological processes, 2) to develop the scientific and technological foundations for a safe, productive for extended periods and in preparation for exploration, and 3) to apply this knowledge and technology to improve our Nation's competitiveness, education, and the quality of life on Earth. Space Biology spans cell and molecular biology research, developmental biology research and whole research with plants and animals. At Ames, the Space Biology Project primarily supports animal and cell biology research including spaceflight and ground-based studies. The Project supports development of NASA grant solicitations, manages Space Biology grants and performs the payload development and operations for space biology experiments on the ISS and on other free-flyer platforms.

Ms. Taylor received her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Louisiana Tech University. She began her career as a flight controller at NASA’s in Houston, working on missions to assemble and operate the International Space Station. Her career evolved quickly as she led teams through dynamic, complex technical and cultural challenges. In 2014, she moved to Ames and transitioned to helping researchers and commercial companies make use of space station laboratory facilities. Her passion and dedication for teamwork, innovation, and problem solving have earned her numerous awards. In addition, she was recognized as Young Alumnus of the Year by Louisiana Tech University and has served as an advisor to their College of Engineering and Science. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family and friends, particularly hiking, volunteering at her church, and photographing her husband and two kids. Brad Bailey E-mail address: [email protected] Director of Emeritus for SLSTP NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Senior Scientist NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Brad Bailey received his B.S. in physics with minors in optics, chemistry and Japanese from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. From there, he received his M.S. in astrophysics from New Mexico Tech where he used the Very Large Array (VLA) to qualitatively analyze spectra from pulsars. After working for 2 years at NASA Ames as a hardware engineer for the International Space Station, Brad went back to graduate school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego where he got his PhD in marine microbiology and geochemistry. In addition to being the Director of the NASA Academy, he also acts as the senior scientist for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.

In 1998, Brad was accepted into the NASA Ames Academy where he worked with PI’s Lou Allamandola and Doug Hudgins on the spectroscopic determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the . He enjoyed the Academy experience so much that he came back in 1999 to work as a staff member for the Academy.

With his varied scientific background, Brad will be a good contact and resource for students looking to break into new fields of interdisciplinary science or for graduate school advice. The Academy was a life changing summer experience for Brad as he would guarantee that he would be working at an optical plant as an engineer in Albuquerque, NM without the experience and contacts that the Academy gave to him. Brad is excited to give back to the Academy in this capacity and is looking forward to meeting all of the Research Associates when they arrive in June! Desireemoi Bridges E-mail address: [email protected] Deputy Director for the NASA Ames Academies NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Desireemoi Bridges is the Deputy Director for the NASA Ames Academy for Space Exploration, Space Life Sciences Training Program, and MARTI. Desi has had a hand in coordinating all the operational needs of the 2009-2015 Academies. She gets things done efficiently and with minimal collateral. Desi is available to help you and the staff with any logistical issues.

Desi joined NASA Ames as a contractor seven years ago as an administrative assistant. In addition to working with the NASA Ames Academies, she is supporting the NASA Ames education office as the Center NIFS, (NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships) lead, Student integration manager and task manager for the education office under the FILMSS contract. Prior to working with us, Desi was employed as a funding specialist and software tester in the mortgage industry.

Desi looks forward to working with all of you. Kristina Gibbs E-mail address: [email protected]

Project Manager for the NASA Ames Academies NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Kristina Gibbs is the Project Manager for the NASA Ames Academy, overseeing the planning and implementation. In addition to the student programs, Kristina is the Flight Definition and Planning Manager for the Space Biology Project at NASA Ames.

Kristina has been working at NASA Ames in support of various missions and programs at for over 20 years. She spent her first 15 years supporting NASA Ames Life Science Payloads. She first started as a liaison between NASA and the Principal Investigators of the /Shuttle payloads, working collaboratively with Russian Researchers. From 1999 to 2002, Kristina was the Project Scientist for two of the first life science payloads in the ISS. As the first Lockheed Martin employee to manage a NASA payload, Kristina facilitated microbiology hardware development and flight operations. Kristina has supported over 10 Mir, STS and ISS payloads and over 20 Principal Investigators.

In 2009, Kristina was appointed as Manager to the Lockheed Martin Institutes and Collaborative Technologies section. In this role she managed staff and task for the virtual institutes at NASA Ames; NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Lunar Science Institute/Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute and the NASA Aeronautic Research Institute. Support includes science program management, virtual collaboration technology, education and public outreach, and administrative support. At this time she also took management responsibility for the NASA Ames Academies.

Kristina is looking forward to your arrival and working with you this summer. Jon Rask E-mail address: [email protected]

SLSTP Director NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Jon Rask is a Research Scientist in the Space Biosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center. His research focuses on human health effects of space flight and the and Mars. Jon has characterized the toxicity and abrasiveness of Apollo lunar dust specimens, and supported development of novel brick-like regolith biocomposite technologies made from lunar dust simulants. Jon has also developed and tested life science hardware and experiments that flew aboard the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. He has performed experiment operations aboard the NASA C9B parabolic aircraft, been a test subject in hypergravity experiments aboard the centrifuge facilities at NASA Ames, and served as Principal Investigator for a human study aboard the NASA Ames Human Performance Centrifuge.

Jon has also been involved in Mars analog research at the Mars Desert Research Station, in the Mojave desert, in the Empty Quarter Desert of the Middle East, in deserts of Western Australia, in the relic glacial terrains and badlands of North Dakota, in the Arctic on Svalbard and Iceland, and also Antarctica, where he has tested prototype space suit technology, operated the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station’s Food Growth Chamber, and explored the polar plateau. Onalli Gunasekara E-mail address: [email protected] University of California, Irvine Aerospace Engineering

Program Coordinator & Research Associate

PI: Rusty Hung and Uland Wong

While growing up in the Bay Area, one of my favorite activities was watching the U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform during Fleet Week. I remember hearing jet engines thundering across the Bay and looking up to see six F/A-18 Hornets soaring above me and over the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco. I often imagined myself experiencing these extreme speed, turns and spins and thought how cool it would be if one day I could fly like those pilots. At thirteen I enrolled in a flight school at the Oakland Airport and from there, I decided that I wanted to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Upon entering UC Irvine in 2014, I was given the opportunity to participate in an engineering course to design, build, and fly a quadcopter with autonomous programming. This class also inspired me to start a research project, which consisted of using a quadcopter as a testing mechanism for human machine interface technology. I was awarded an Undergraduate Research and Opportunities Fellowship to conduct my research on the ‘Hand Gestured Recognition Based Controlled Quadcopter’ project in Dr. Gregory Washington’s Intelligent Structures and Systems Laboratory. My current work is to develop a dynamic search and rescue control system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In 2016, I was a Research Associate in the NASA Ames Multidisciplinary Aeronautics Research Team Initiative where I served as the Team Leader of the Aerodynamic Modeling sub-team with the task to research the aerodynamic performance of UAVs in urban environments. This summer I look forward returning to NASA Ames to serve as a Program Coordinator for the Space Life Sciences Training Program and to conduct research in the Intelligent Robotics Group. Joseph (Niko) Vlastos E-mail address: [email protected]

Arizona State University Biomedical Engineering & Aerospace Engineering

Program Coordinator & Research Associate

PI: John Hogan Although I was born in a small town in Wyoming I spent the majority of my childhood in the Midwest. My family bounced around from Colorado to Minnesota to St. Louis Missouri and then across the Mississippi to Illinois. My life was different than most other children, I was homeschooled and lived on a semi sustainable farm filled with a menagerie composed of chickens, horses, milking goats, and honeybees to name just a few. Growing up there were three main themes to my life. The first being curiosity, from the time I was born I was wildly curious and courageous. Growing up on a farm I had hundreds of acres to explore and discover every cave, pond, and tree worth claiming. At the age of ten I was successful in helping lead of group of spelunkers relocate a cave lost in time and in the process showed them unmapped caves; one of which I received the honor of being named after myself. Gymnastic was the other huge catalyst in my life. Unlike most people I started at 16 years old which is considered roughly 12 years too late. However I instantaneously fell in love with the flipping, twisting, and endless progressions. I pushed my body to new extremes and did tricks that almost felt like defied gravity. This passion of mine is what lead me to pursuing college gymnastics at . At ASU I soon became enthralled with engineering and science while studying Biomedical and Aerospace Engineering. Academics became my main focus and began working in a professor’s research lab studying new drug delivery systems. My curiosity for exploring the unknown has continued to grow with age and my dreams to venture into space. I excited to be back staffing SLSTP and having the opportunity to pursue my passion while helping others do the same. 2017 SLSTP Mentors Eduardo Almeida E-mail address: [email protected]

Senior Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

My current research focuses on the effects of microgravity-mediated mechanical unloading of tissues in-vivo, on stem-cell-based tissue regeneration, and on matrix and integrin-based mechano-transduction signaling. Specifically, we have proposed, and are testing, the broad “Gravity Regenerative Health” hypothesis that mechanical load from gravity at 1 g is required for normal adult stem cell proliferation and differentiation during bone tissue regeneration. Microgravity research from my group at NASA lab has provided novel evidence for the gravity tissue regeneration hypothesis, and led to the identification of the cell cycle inhibitor p21/CDKN1a as a candidate molecular mediator mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal and hematopoietic lineage tissue regenerative arrest in microgravity. In addition to basic I am also involved as NASA Project Scientist in developing new cell and molecular biology techniques and tools for use in microgravity on the International Space Station, including the recently deployed WetLab2 suite of Molecular Biology qRT PCR capability, and the upcoming Bioculture System for on- Cell Science investigations. Previous significant contributions to science, include the identification of extracellular matrix/integrin cell survival signaling mechanisms that suppress p53 in the absence of serum growth factors, and identification of the mouse egg alpha 6 integrin receptor, for the ADAMS family sperm ligand Fertilin.

Honors and Awards: 2008 NASA Honor Award – 2006 Group Achievement Award M-3 Payload Team 2008 Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Biomedical Problems Award Foton M-3 Russian-US Collaborative Research Spaceflight Mission 2011 NASA Honor Award – 2011 Group Achievement Award STS 135 STL2 Payload Team 2014 NASA Exceptional Service Medal (Ames Research Center) 2017 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (ISS) Josh Alwood E-mail address: [email protected]

Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

As a Scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Josh Alwood examines how spaceflight (for example, the associated weightlessness and radiation exposure) and mechanical loading trigger complex changes in living systems, particularly in the skeleton. He recently completed a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship at Ames Research Center. Josh received his PhD from Stanford University in Aeronautics and Astronautics and his B.S. degrees from the University of Florida in Physics and Astronomy. In April, Josh was honored at the White House as a 2012 Presidential Awardee for Early-Career Scientists and Engineers. Sharmila Bhattacharya E-mail address: [email protected] Director of the Biomodel Performance Laboratory, Senior Scientist NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya is a senior scientist and the Director/Principal Investigator of the Biomodel Performance Laboratory in the Space Biosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center in California. Dr. Bhattacharya has served as the Principal Investigator for the shuttle flight experiment (Fly Immunity and Tumors, or FIT) that utilized fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) for the first time to understand the effects of space flight on the immune system and has been involved with several science experiments on space flight missions in addition to this.

Sharmila Bhattacharya earned her Master’s and PhD degrees in Molecular Biology at Princeton University, followed by post-doctoral research in Neurobiology at Stanford University. After Bhattacharya moved to NASA Ames Research Center, she served as the Lead Scientist for the Insect Habitat, a collaborative effort by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency and developed a habitat for the International Space Station. Sharmila served as the Acting Project Manager for Small Biological Payloads flying on Progress, and shuttle missions. Later Dr. Bhattacharya served as Chief Scientist for Astrobionics and the Small Spacecraft Division, helping integrate science payloads on a variety of space flight platforms. Her own research at NASA has involved studying immune changes during spaceflight, and the effects of radiation and altered gravity on the neurobehavioral and other physiological systems. Dr. Bhattacharya’s research utilizes cell culture models and whole animal models, including Drosophila melanogaster, to study oxidative stress mechanisms as it relates to space flight related conditions. Another important aspect of the spaceflight environment is radiation, and the team working on the Biosentinel project is involved in understanding the effects of highly ionizing radiation on DNA damage using yeast cells. This is particularly important in the context of future deep space missions. Elizabeth Blaber E-mail address: [email protected]

Research Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California Sylvain Costes E-mail address: [email protected]

Senior Research Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Sylvain Costes, Ph.D., is a principal investigator in the Space Biosciences Research Branch at NASA-ARC and the GeneLab Project Manager. Dr. Costes has spent his career leading multidisciplinary research in both academic and government scientific institutions. He is coordinating the systems biology scientific research effort for the GeneLab project, supporting both internal and external collaboration efforts, and representing the project in support of the Space Biology Project and the ISS Program. Dr. Costes is also continuing work on his independent research supported by the Human Research Program’s Radiation Studies Element. This work focuses on establishing biomarkers for space radiation sensitivity by characterizing the variation of DNA damage response in genetically diverse mouse and human populations, using skin and blood as surrogate tissues. One goal is to also identify the genetic loci associated with high sensitivity to ionizing radiation and specifically space radiation. The large array of data generated in this project will be used to develop risk models to predict cancer risks during missions in space simulating various radiation flight scenarios.

​Dr. Costes obtained his Ph.D. in the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied radiation biology. He then joined the mathematics department as a postdoctoral fellow where he developed mathematical formalisms predicting gene deletions observed after exposure to ionizing radiation. Dr. Costes served as a staff scientist at the Image Analysis and Confocal Laboratory of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, MD, where he expanded his research to include high throughput imaging, live cell imaging and biochemical models describing the interaction and movement of fluorescent proteins. He joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2004 where he has led the computer modeling effort for a NASA Specialized Center of Research looking at the risk of Space Radiation on the human breast. This work was in collaboration with NYU Medical School, UCSF and Colorado State University. During his time at LBNL, he also supervised a bioinformatics lab for multi-dimensional microscope image analysis, agent-based modeling and genomic analysis. He also co-founded a startup in 2012, Exogen biotechnology Inc., a spinoff of the Berkeley Lab, dedicated to measure DNA damage in individuals and predicting cancer risk using DNA repair phenotypes. Homer Fogle E-mail address: [email protected]

Senior Bioinformatics Scientists Bionetics NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California Terry Fong E-mail address: [email protected] Director Intelligent Robotics Group Intelligent Systems Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Dr. Terry Fong is the Director of the Intelligent Robotics Group at the NASA Ames Research Center and is Project Manager of the NASA Human Exploration Telerobotics (HET) project, which tests advanced systems on the International Space Station. Fong ialso is deputy element lead for the NASA Resource Mission . From 2002 to 2004, Fong was the deputy leader of the Virtual Reality and Active Interfaces Group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). From 1997 to 2000, he was Vice President of Development for Fourth Planet, Inc., a developer of real-time visualization software. Fong has published more than one hundred papers in space and field robotics, human-robot interaction, virtual reality user interfaces and planetary mapping. Fong received his B.S. and M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. Jonathan Galazka E-mail address: [email protected] Research Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California .

Dr. Jonathan Galazka joined the Space Biosciences Research Branch in 2015. Before this, he was a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center studying the genetic and epigenetic response of yeast to microgravity exposure. Jonathan was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the lab of Dr. Michael Freitag at Oregon State University, where he studied the mechanisms of heterochromatin establishment and the role of heterochromatin in maintaining genome structure. Jonathan performed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in the lab of Dr. Jamie Cate, studying biomass degradation and conversion by filamentous fungi and yeasts at the Energy Biosciences Institute. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family in nature. Rush K. Globus E-mail address: [email protected] Senior Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California John Hogan E-mail address: [email protected] Research Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Dr. Hogan is an environmental scientist in the Bioengineering Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. His research supports NASA’s Life Support and Habitation Systems, and Synthetic Biology Applications programs which involves the development of sustainable systems for extended extraterrestrial human habitation. Major areas of research and technology development have included integrated biological and physico-chemical technologies for regenerative air, water and solid waste treatment systems, bio-manufacturing, systems analysis and integration, , and data systems development. His interests also include investigating how NASA’s regenerative closed-loop life support and systems engineering principles may be applied to large-scale terrestrial operations. Prior to joining NASA, Dr. Hogan was research faculty at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in the Department of Environmental Sciences. At Rutgers, he participated in a NASA funded, multidisciplinary program developing biologically-based, sustainable systems for long-term planetary bases. Dr. Hogan received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ. Rusty Hunt E-mail address:

Flight Director Intelligent Systems Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California April Ronca E-mail address:

Senior Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

April E. Ronca, Ph.D. is a Scientist in the Space Biosciences Research Branch and Adjunct Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology, and jointly, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Molecular Medicine & Translational Science, and the Center for Biomolecular Imaging at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Dr. Ronca’s research focuses on mammalian , birth and the transition from prenatal to postnatal life emphasizing early sensory experience, epigenetics, sex differences, and the prenatal origins of neurodevelopmental disorders. Her translational approach combines MRI and MR spectroscopic brain imaging, neurobiological, biochemical, epigenetic and behavioral analyses to elucidate effects of perinatal environment on later life phenotypes. Dr. Ronca has published over 75 peer-reviewed publications, has received grants from NIH and NASA, and served on the NIH Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology Study Section from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Ronca was an Investigator on two spaceflight experiments jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NASA (NIH.R1 and NIH.R2), the first in which pregnant mammals were flown on the Space Shuttle. Her work has been featured on the Science Discovery Channel, and she was interviewed for the History Channel Universe segment on ‘Sex in Space’. In 2004, she was honored with the Thora W. Halstead Young Investigator Award and the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. She has served on numerous federal review panels and working groups, including the National Academy of Sciences Animal and Human Biology Panel for the Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space. Dr. Ronca serves on the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Board of Directors (2003-2011 and 2013- present). Since 2004, she has served as Associate Editor for the journal, Gravitational & Space Biology. From 2009-2013, she was Director of the Women’s Health Center of Excellence Research Program at Wake Forest School of Medicine, a position through which she established new translational research initiatives in sex/gender biomedicine. In 2013, she Co-Chaired the NASA Headquarters Review of The Role of Sex/Gender in Adaptation to Spaceflight Reproduction Workgroup, coincident with the first NASA Astronaut Class comprised of 50% women. Dr. Ronca also leads the Ames Translational Research effort fostering cell, molecular and organismal biology research to inform astronaut health in space. Sergio Santa Maria E-mail address: [email protected]

Research Scientist, Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California Ann-Sofie Schreurs,PhD E-mail address: [email protected] Research Scientist, Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Ph.D. in , University of Sussex, United Kingdom. M.S. in Molecular and Cellular biology, specialty in Genetics, University Pierre and Marie Curie, France. B.S. in Life Sciences, University Pierre and Marie Curie, France. My research focuses on the potential role of oxidative stress and DNA damage in mediating bone loss encountered in spaceflight, with the aim of developing countermeasures. My time at NASA Ames, and especially in the Space Biosciences Research Branch have been a great opportunity to be part of the amazing research done in the space biology field, and I am working towards a long career in space research. David Smith E-mail address: [email protected] Research Scientist Space Biosciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Dr. David J. Smith is a microbiologist and project scientist in the Space Biosciences Division. During his 9 year career with NASA (2007-2015 at Kennedy Space Center; 2015-present at Ames Research Center) he has examined microbial responses to extreme environments with payloads flown on NASA aircraft (ER-2, C20A), balloons, and also to the International Space Station. David’s scientific leadership contributed to the recent success of sequencing DNA in space, and using high altitude balloons for space biology experiments. His independent research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Geographic, NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Office of the Chief Engineer, Kennedy Space Center Chief Technologist, NASA Space Biology Program, NASA Ames Office of the Chief Scientist, and NASA Biodiversity/Earth Science Division, the Director’s Discretionary Fund at NASA Ames, and the NASA Planetary Protection Office. In addition to generating scientific publications, his team’s research results have been featured by major news outlets including Science, The Discovery Channel, Scientific American, NY Times Magazine, AIAA Aerospace Magazine, Gizmodo, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Nautilus Magazine, and The Atlantic. In 2015, he founded the NASA Ames Early Career Network and began an 18-month appointment as (Acting) Deputy Chief in the Space Biosciences Research Branch that concluded in January 2017; he was awarded the NASA Early Career Achievement Medal in 2016. David received his B.A. in Ecological & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in Biology & Astrobiology from the University of Washington. Uland Wong E-mail address: [email protected] Senior Computer Scientist Intelligent Robotics Group NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California

Dr. Wong’s research pushes the boundaries of perception capability for robots in extreme environments such as caves, icy surfaces and planetary poles. He is currently developing world-class expertise and facilities for sensor characterization on behalf of the Resource Prospector mission. Wong is PI on efforts to develop robotic projectiles for exploration and to autonomously land at scientifically interesting icy moon sites. His Tyrobot, Mosaic, Ferret, and Cavecrawler robots have explored and conducted science in underground spaces ranging from mines and tunnels to caves. Wong is active in the computer vision research community and has released the CMU Pit and Caves 3D and the NASA POLAR Stereo datasets to the public as a result of prior NASA support.

Previously, Dr. Wong ran the Sensor Characterization Laboratory in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Wong has successfully led projects funded by NASA, DOD, NSF and others. He was co-investigator and technical lead for Robotic Exploration of Planetary Skylights, Non-Geometric Terrain Hazard Detection and Robotic Underground Rescue Scout projects. He also led Army/RTC and NIOSH programs to comprehensively calibrate and evaluate the spectrum of range and imaging sensors for robotic navigation and mapping underground.

In his Ph.D. thesis, Dr. Wong developed the idea of Lumenhancement, which explores how the interaction of light, materials and sensor fusion can be leveraged to model planetary environments. His work in generating super-resolution void models from image and LIDAR data won the best student paper award at the premier conference for field robotics in 2009 (FSR09). NASA Ames SLSTP 2017 Profile Book