NSBRI Has Positive Five-Year Review

NSBRI underwent an extensive external, independent program review as part of its cooperative agreement with NASA on Jan. 26-28 in Houston. A 13-member expert Review Committee chaired by David E. Longnecker, M.D., was charged to advise NASA regarding the performance and progress of NSBRI during the past five years, as well as recommend to NASA whether to continue the Institute into the next five-year increment.

In the final report, "The Committee's overarching principal recommendation is that the NSBRI program be funded for an additional five years." NSBRI and NASA are working together to address the Committee's recommendations.

At the review, NSBRI management and team leadership gave presentations to the Committee. Also, investigators and students participated in a three-hour demonstration of NSBRI's science, technology and education projects and programs for the Committee.

NSBRI Shines at Humans in Space Symposium

NSBRI had a strong, successful presence at the 18th International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Humans in Space Symposium held in Houston April 11-15. In addition to being a Symposium sponsor, members of the NSBRI family garnered top honors and gave numerous presentations.

A highlight of the Symposium occurred April 14 at the banquet when the IAA announced eight new appointments to the Academy. Five of the new members are associated with NSBRI, and include:

• First Place – Kevin Shimkus, Texas A&M (NSBRI Graduate Training Program)
• Second Place – Rachel Ellman, MIT (NSBRI Graduate Training Program)
• Third Place – Jessica Snyder, Drexel University (2010 NSBRI Summer Intern)
• Fourth Place – L. Z. Shao, Beihang University, Beijing, China
• Honorable Mention – Yasaman Shirazi-Fard, Texas A&M.

From the Lab: Researchers Making Progress in Flywheel Study

NSBRI researchers at the University of California, Irvine are conducting a project to demonstrate the effectiveness of using multi-mode exercise device (M-MED) training to provide endurance and resistance exercise training during extended spaceflight missions. The researchers are using a test-bed version of a flywheel device to gather data on M-MED-based training.

Now in their third year, the researchers, led by Gregory R. Adams, Ph.D., have collected data that indicate combined M-MED-based training is effective in increasing work capacity – maximum oxygen consumption and increased arm and leg muscle fatigue resistance – and in increasing muscle size and strength in the lower leg and thigh. Also, research data show that only relatively low doses of exercise are needed to achieve these results, with no adverse effects or injuries experienced by 42 subjects.

The project's research activities have transitioned to studying the interactions between M-MED-based exercise and muscle unloading as modeled by the Unilateral Lower Limb Suspension (one-limb) model. The focus is now on the cellular and molecular responses to unloading and the impact of M-MED exercise on these mechanisms.

NSBRI Selects New Postdocs

Four young scientists have been awarded NSBRI postdoctoral fellowships. Each postdoc will conduct a space-related biomedical research project while continuing to learn from an experienced faculty mentor.

The 2010-2012 NSBRI postdoctoral fellows, their institutions and mentors are:

• Devendra Bajaj, Ph.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Mentor: J. Christopher Fritton, Ph.D.
• Gwendolen E. Haley, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University
Mentor: Jacob Raber, Ph.D.
• Andrea M. Hanson, Ph.D., University of Washington
Mentor: Peter R. Cavanagh, Ph.D., D.Sc.
• Christopher J. Morris, Ph.D., Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard
Medical School
Mentor: Frank A.J.L. Scheer, Ph.D.

The new fellows have been assigned to one of NSBRI's seven research teams. During the two-year program, postdocs receive a $40,000 stipend per year and funds to cover health insurance and travel to NSBRI-related meetings. Each postdoc will also attend the Summer Bioastronautics Institute at NSBRI Headquarters at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. This institute will emphasize essential skills needed for a successful scientific research career.

Note: NSBRI is now soliciting applications for the 2011-2013 class of postdoctoral fellows. More information can be found here.

Tech Talk: LTM/iRevive System to Undergo Clinical Trials in June

An NSBRI press release featured a project that is integrating the Lightweight Trauma Module (LTM) monitoring and therapeutic care system and the iRevive medical record software.

The objective of this NSBRI-funded project is to develop a system that provides an accurate patient history, assists in treatment and helps astronauts be more efficient when providing medical care. The system also has the potential to benefit health care on Earth, especially at accident scenes, in emergency rooms and on the battlefield.

The LTM/iRevive system is scheduled to undergo a clinical trial during the first week of June at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The project, which is led by 10Blade Inc. President John Crossin, is in its final six months and is part of the NSBRI Smart Medical Systems and Technology Team portfolio.

Industry Forum Sees Significant Growth

During the past two years, the NSBRI Industry Forum has expanded both in size and scope. Its membership increased to 30 companies representing sectors such as aerospace, engineering, pharmaceutical discovery, personal spaceflight, medical devices, medical science/education and venture capital investment. The goals of the Industry Forum, led by Dorit Donoviel, Ph.D., are designed to support the overall NSBRI mission to ensure safe and productive human spaceflight and improve life on Earth.

The Industry Forum will facilitate technology maturation, enable commercialization for Earth markets and engage private industry in developing technology solutions for both space and Earth. It began addressing some of these goals by creating a comprehensive database of intellectual property, running a commercialization workshop for academic investigators and conducting market analyses on mature NSBRI-funded technologies. The Industry Forum has also convened a steering council comprised of experienced business and technology experts that help guide the program.

The Industry Forum has reached out to technology transfer offices at academic institutions with the express purpose of invigorating commercialization activities surrounding NSBRI-funded technologies. The Industry Forum is set on a course to partner with visionary companies to co-develop technologies that will meet the unique needs of administering health care in resource-constrained environments such as in a patient's home and in space.

For updates on the exciting developments within the Industry Forum, check out its dedicated website at http://www.nsbriforum.org/.

Did You Know?

Current and former members of NSBRI's User Panel have flown 71 space missions. These spaceflights include missions during the Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs, and on the Russian Mir Space Station. To learn more about the NSBRI User Panel, please visit http://www.nsbri.org/About-NSBRI/Leadership/User-Panel/.

Accolades

NSBRI Director Jeffrey P. Sutton, M.D., Ph.D., received NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal. ... Human Factors and Performance Principal Investigator Charles A. Czeisler, M.D., Ph.D., (Harvard-Brigham and Women's Hospital) was elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies. ... Joseph V. Brady, Ph.D., received the 2011 NSBRI Pioneer Award for his work that helped set the stage for early U.S. human spaceflights. ... The University of Western Ontario, Canada, awarded NSBRI Senior Education Fellow Marlene MacLeish, Ed.D, an honorary degree (Doctor of Laws, honoris causa) in recognition of her contributions to space exploration education. ... Hui-Ying Wen (Draper Laboratory Fellow and MIT graduate student) was recognized by the New England Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for her work on the NSBRI-funded research project led by Kevin Duda, Ph.D. ... Texas A&M Graduate Training Program Students Brandon Macias and Kevin Shimkus received the 2011 Student Research Development Award from the Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.