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 Set to Begin New Chapter
For the past 15 years, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) has led a national effort to protect the health of astronauts conducting long-duration space missions. During the past several months, NSBRI’s capabilities have increased, thrusting the Institute into a new era of scientific discovery and educational innovation that will impact health care in space and on Earth.

The Institute’s efforts were recognized when NASA elected to fund the third five-year extension of its cooperative agreement with NSBRI, with the extension beginning Oct. 1, 2012. Other major events include the official opening of a new state-of-the-art Consolidated Research Facility (CRF) and the addition of 15 new projects to its scientific research and technology development pipeline.

“NSBRI is looking forward to continuing its productive relationship with NASA,” said Jeffrey P. Sutton, M.D., Ph.D., NSBRI President and CEO. “The additions to our research portfolio include projects that will allow us to aggressively pursue solutions to serious health risks facing space explorers. The new facility builds on the nation’s pre-eminence in space biomedical research and medicine, and paves the way for new advances.”

Official Opening and Pioneer Award
Earlier this year, NSBRI officially opened its new Consolidated Research Facility and awarded U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison its Pioneer Award, the Institute’s highest honor. Approximately 200 guests and media attended the festivities. Below are selected images from the event. 

Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony (from left to right) are: NASA Johnson Space Center Director Michael Coats, Baylor College of Medicine President Paul Klotman, M.D., U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, NSBRI President and CEO Jeffrey Sutton, M.D., Ph.D., Rice University President David Leebron and NSBRI Chairman of the Board Bobby Alford, M.D. (Photo by Baylor College of Medicine.)	In this wide-angle view, guests, NASA officials and members of the media take in demonstrations  during the Consolidated Research Facility’s official opening activities. Attendees were treated to a sampling of NSBRI's science and technology research projects and the Institute's education programs. Also featured during the event were projects sponsored by the Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, the organization that shares the CRF with NSBRI. (Photo by Baylor College of Medicine.)	Television cameras are lined up to film the remarks about the opening of the Consolidated Research Facility. Speakers included NSBRI management, the presidents of Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine and the director of NASA Johnson Space Center. The TV crews also captured footage of the NSBRI Pioneer Award presentation to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. (Photo by Leroy Gibbins.)
Keith Cengel, M.D., Ph.D., (left) discusses with U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (right) the research being conducted at NSBRI's Center of Acute Radiation Research (CARR). Cengel is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. (Photo by Baylor College of Medicine.)	KPRC-TV's Rachel McNeill, (third from right) observes a demonstration of ultrasound technology developed for NSBRI at the University of Washington to detect and remove kidney stones. The technology was developed by Larry Crum, Ph.D., (second from right) and Michael Bailey, Ph.D. (far right). (Photo by Leroy Gibbins.)	U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (center) is the 2012 recipient of NSBRI's Pioneer Award for her contributions to the advancement of human spaceflight, including space biomedical research. Presenting the award are NSBRI Chairman of the Board Bobby Alford, M.D., (left) and NSBRI President and CEO Jeffrey Sutton, M.D., Ph.D. (Photo by Baylor College of Medicine.)

From the Lab: Study Shows Adequate Sleep Needed for Good Health
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have collected data that reinforce findings that an increased risk of diabetes and obesity could be caused by too little sleep and inconsistent sleep patterns. This study, which examined humans over a period of time in a controlled laboratory environment, provides support of results from previously conducted epidemiological studies. The researchers altered the timing of sleep by simulating the schedules of shift workers and international travelers.

Through a Human Factors and Performance Team project led by Charles A. Czeisler, Ph.D., M.D., NSBRI is one of a number of organizations that provided support for the research, which was published in Science Translational Medicine. Czeisler’s NSBRI project is studying the use of short-wavelength light to help astronauts more quickly adjust to sleep/wake schedule shifts before and during spaceflight.

The Brigham and Women’s press release is available here.

Twenty-Six participate in NSBRI Summer Programs
The NSBRI Education Program recently concluded a successful summer inspiring future scientists, engineers and physicians. NSBRI’s summer of education kicked off May 28-June 1 when 26 participants from the NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, Graduate Education Program and Summer Internship Program attended the annual Summer Bioastronautics Institute (SBI). The four-day Institute featured space life sciences and professional development lectures and activities led by a wide-range of experts from NSBRI, NASA, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, Wake Forest University, the University of Missouri and the Center for Polar Medical Operations at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Following the completion of the SBI, 19 students participating in the NSBRI Summer Internship Program had a nine-week tour of duty working in a laboratory at one of three NASA centers - Johnson Space Center (JSC), Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.

Three students in the NSBRI Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences also worked in JSC laboratories for nine weeks. The NSBRI Graduate Education Program, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Texas A&M University, allows participating students to work toward a Ph.D. that focuses on space life sciences. NSBRI recently announced the continuation of the program at both institutions.

The Fellows in attendance at the SBI included participants in the NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and the NSBRI - IBMP International Postdoctoral Exchange Program.

In addition to these programs, one student worked at NSBRI Headquarters as part of the Institute’s Space Biomedical Engineering Apprenticeship Program.

NSBRI Has Strong Presence at Space Life Sciences Research Conference at Johns Hopkins
NSBRI management and researchers were among featured speakers at the Emerging Opportunities in Space Life Sciences Research conference held Aug. 13 at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

This conference brought together some of the nation’s leading scientists and physicians to provide an overview of the space life sciences issues facing humans on long-duration missions. A number of important areas of research were covered, each with a general presentation designed to establish the overall issues, and a more specific presentation describing a current research project on that topic.

In addition to participation by NSBRI personnel, the Institute and the Discovery Program at Johns Hopkins provided support to the conference.

Did You Know?
NSBRI was established in 1997 with seven consortium members: Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Rice University and Texas A&M University. The consortium expanded to 12 in 1999 with the addition of Brookhaven National Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the University of Washington.

Accolades
NSBRI User Panel Chairman Leroy Chiao, Ph.D., is the recipient of the Russian Medal of Merit for Space Exploration from the Russian Federation for his achievements in space exploration. … NSBRI External Advisory Council member Ralph Lydic, Ph.D., received the highest award conferred by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Excellence in Research Award, for his outstanding achievements in research that have had an important impact on the practice of anesthesiology. … NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellow Devendra Bajaj, Ph.D., received the 2012 Universities Space Research Association New Investigator Award. … NSBRI Space Medicine Advisor Jonathan Clark, M.D., was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology and Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

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