NSBRI Explorer is an email publication designed to keep you informed of accomplishments, program activities and people in the news at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

NSBRI Moves in to New Facility

NSBRI is settling into its new headquarters offices in the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC), where it shares a new state-of-the-art facility with Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Space Medicine (CSM). The new consolidated research facility (CRF) exemplifies NSBRI's collaborative efforts with NASA and NSBRI consortium members.

The facility occupies 16,400 square feet on the ninth floor of the BRC and includes four laboratories, meeting rooms and office space for NSBRI headquarters personnel, as well as space for visiting NSBRI researchers and students. It also features artifacts and displays related to human spaceflight and NSBRI and CSM programs.

Since moving in this summer, NSBRI has hosted its fall Board of Directors and External Advisory Council meetings and other events at the CRF. The BRC is located on the southeast corner of the Rice University campus across the street from the Texas Medical Center and in close proximity to NASA Johnson Space Center.

Science and Technology Demos Begin at HQ

Recently, NSBRI began hosting Science and Technology Demonstrations in the CRF. The demos have been held in the CRF's laboratories to feature progression of research and technology development for NSBRI and to demonstrate benefits for health care on Earth.

The first demonstration, held Aug. 24 and in conjunction with NSBRI Industry Forum activities, featured the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) Self Test designed to help astronauts self-assess fatigue in space. The PVT could also be used by professionals on Earth, such as truck drivers. Daniel Mollicone, Ph.D., of Pulsar Informatics conducted the demo. The PVT was originally developed for NSBRI by University of Pennsylvania researchers led by David Dinges, Ph.D. The PVT is currently on the International Space Station.

Three demos took place at the CRF in September. Co-Investigator and 10Blade Inc. Chief Medical Officer Steve Moulton, M.D., demonstrated the capabilities of the iRevive/Lightweight Trauma Module (LTM) system. This integrated system provides an accurate patient history, assists in treatment, and could help astronauts be more efficient when providing medical care.

U.S. Naval Academy Professor Vincent L. Pisacane, Ph.D., demonstrated to the NSBRI Board of Directors the Microdosimeter-Dosimeter Instrument, a small dosimeter that could provide real-time radiation measurements to astronauts. UCLA Associate Professor Raphael Rose, Ph.D., provided a demonstration of the software package Stress Management and Resilience Training for Optimal Performance. The software is capable of training astronauts about stress management during extended missions.

To date, demo attendees have included members of industry, NASA personnel, faculty and students from NSBRI institutions, and congressional representatives. Once CRF build-out is complete, NSBRI will have the ability to broadcast the demos live via the Internet.

Consolidated Research Facility Images

Consolidated research facility construction in April. NSBRI and the Center for Space Medicine began operations in the CRF in June.	The NSBRI Board of Directors check out the User Panel/Space Medicine laboratory during a tour of the CRF. Photo by Baylor College of Medicine.
NASA personnel and other guests learned about the iRevive/LTM project in a CRF demonstration laboratory.	The NSBRI clock logo, which features the logos of the 12 consortium members, is visible in the CRF lobby.

520-Day Mars Mission Simulation Nears Completion

For the past 16 months, NSBRI has participated in the 520-day Mars Mission Simulation conducted by the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation – Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The hatch to IBMP's isolation facility housing the six-member international crew is slated to open Nov. 4.

NSBRI, which is the only U.S. participant in the simulation, is monitoring the six crew members' rest-activity cycles, performance and psychological responses to determine the extent to which sleep loss, fatigue, stress, mood changes and conflicts occur during the mission. Dr. Dinges is the project's lead investigator.

The crew began its mission inside the isolation facility June 3, 2010. The crew's mission simulation schedule has included more than 90 experiments and realistic scenarios, including emergency situations, 20-minute communications delays and a trip to the martian surface. The mission is broken into 250 days for the trip to Mars, 30 days on the surface and 240 days for the return to Earth.

Plants in Space Education Project Continues on ISS

The Plants in Space education project continues aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This unique science project is designed to sow the excitement of scientific discovery in classrooms by allowing students and teachers to examine root growth in microgravity and compare the results with those from plants used in their own ground-based experiments. The first of four scheduled five-day trials began Sept. 21, with the second beginning Sept. 29. To learn more about the NSBRI-funded Plants in Space project, click here.

Dr. Joe Brady: Space Research Pioneer

On July 29, one of the nation's top behavioral researchers, Joseph V. Brady, Ph.D., passed away. During his distinguished 60-plus-year career, Dr. Brady was a trailblazer in many areas. He helped set the stage for early human spaceflights by training some of the first U.S. spacefarers – monkeys Able and Miss Baker and Ham the Chimp. Later in his career, Dr. Brady served NSBRI as an associate team leader and as a principal investigator.

Earlier this year, during the Institutes for Behavior Resources (IBR) 50th anniversary gala, NSBRI honored Dr. Brady with its Pioneer Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program.

Dr. Brady also made his mark on Earth-based activities. He was IBR's founding director and a leading researcher in the areas of behavioral psychology and pharmacology. He was a decorated member of the U.S. military and a long-time faculty member of The Johns Hopkins University.

More information about Dr. Brady's storied career can be found here.

Did You Know?

NSBRI's new consolidated research facility overlooks Rice Stadium, where President John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech on Sept. 12, 1962, challenging Americans to send humans to the moon by the end of the decade.

Accolades

NSBRI Director Jeffrey P. Sutton, M.D., Ph.D, was awarded a diploma in space medicine and biology by the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The honor commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight. ... External Advisory Council member Malcolm M. Cohen, Ph.D., received the 2011 Kent K. Gillingham Award for significant contributions during his 40-year career in the fields of spatial disorientation and human perception related to flight. … Dr. Cohen also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. … Human Factors and Performance Associate Team Leader Elizabeth B. Klerman, M.D., Ph.D., (Harvard Medical School-Brigham and Women's Hospital) has been elected to the boards of directors of the Sleep Research Society and the Association for Patient-Oriented Research. NSBRI Space Medicine Advisor Jonathan B. Clark, M.D., (Baylor College of Medicine) was appointed to the editorial board of Extreme Physiology & Medicine.

Note: Submissions for the Accolades section can be sent to Brad Thomas at rbthomas@bcm.edu.