As space travel becomes more accessible, the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine is helping to answer questions about how time spent in space affects the body.
The College of Medicine has partnered with the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to collect data and biospecimens from commercial spaceflight participants to better understand how space flight impacts health. One of the first missions the College of Medicine is supporting is the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) to the International Space Station (ISS), which launched on May 21.
鈥淭his partnership is a fantastic opportunity and fits with our mission at 麻豆原创,鈥� says Deborah German, vice president for Health Affairs at 麻豆原创 and dean of the College of Medicine. 鈥�麻豆原创 was born as a university to support the space program and the College of Medicine is continuing this mission with research to support the space program, and to bring to Earth all of the secrets that research and space medicine can reveal.鈥�
Funded by the NASA Human Research Program and led by Baylor College of Medicine, TRISH seeks to better understand the impact of spaceflight, which will inform scientists and clinicians on how to protect the health of humans wherever they explore, in space or on Earth. Through studies exploring motion sickness, sleep disturbance, changes to cognitive function, eye and brain health, and more, TRISH-supported research assesses key aspects of the human experience in space. As part of the partnership, the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine will conduct pre-flight and post-flight testing and processing of laboratory samples from spaceflight participants of Ax-2 and future commercial space flights.
Emmanuel Urquieta Ordonez, chief medical officer at TRISH, says the partnership with 麻豆原创 will expand the institute鈥檚 data collection efforts.
鈥淭he goal of TRISH鈥檚 commercial spaceflight research program is to collect high-value data from participants, including physiological changes like sensory-motor data, which is how your balance changes before and after space travel. We also study cognitive performance, like how your brain changes after being in space. One way we do research is by collecting samples including blood, saliva, stool and skin swabs three times before flight and three times after spaceflight.鈥�
He says 麻豆原创鈥檚 expertise, capabilities, and proximity to the Kennedy Space Center made the College of Medicine an ideal choice for the partnership.
鈥淲ith some flights launching here in Florida, we want to get the best data from samples and ensure that they get processed following established protocols, so having a partner in the Orlando area close to Kennedy Space Center is ideal,鈥� Urquieta Ordonez says.
College of Medicine researchers Michal Masternak and Alicja Copik are among 麻豆原创 faculty who will lead 麻豆原创鈥檚 laboratory research efforts. Masternak, who currently studies aging and age-related diseases, says he is excited about the possibilities the partnership presents.
鈥淎s space travel becomes more accessible for all, I think this partnership is a great opportunity for us to work towards solving the mysteries of space travel and its impact on human health,鈥� he says.
Last year, Masternak and three physicians from 麻豆原创 Health, the College of Medicine clinical practice, did research with the crew of Axiom Mission 1, Axiom鈥檚 first all-private spaceflight participant mission that bought four passengers to the International Space Station.
鈥淲e are tremendously honored to be partnering with TRISH,鈥� says Amoy Fraser, who leads the College of Medicine鈥檚 clinical and aerospace health research team. 鈥淭his partnership is consistent with the vision of 麻豆原创 as 鈥楾he Space U鈥� and we look forward to additional partnerships and growth in the arena of space health.鈥�
