The following release was issued jointly by NASA and NSBRI.
NASA’s Human Research Program and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, of Houston will fund 11 proposals to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future space exploration missions. The selected proposals, representing 10 institutions in eight states, will receive a total of almost $10 million over a three- to four-year period.
The Human Research Program provides knowledge and technologies to improve human health and performance during space exploration. The program also develops possible countermeasures for problems experienced during space travel.
Goals include the successful completion of exploration missions and preservation of astronauts’ health throughout their lives. The program quantifies crew health and performance risks during spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners can use to monitor and mitigate health and performance risks.
The 11 projects were selected from 50 proposals received in response to a research announcement titled “Research and Technology Development to Support Crew Health and Performance in Space Exploration Missions.”
The proposals were reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia, industry and government. Seven of the projects will be assigned to the Human Research Program’s team of principal investigators, while four will join NSBRI’s team-based research program.
NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The institute’s science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.
NSBRI Project Information
The four NSBRI projects are listed below by team, along with the principal investigator’s name, institution and project title. Each project title is linked to the technical summary for that project.
Cardiovascular Alterations Team:
- Craig G. Crandall, Ph.D.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Temperature Regulatory and Cardiovascular Responses to Exercise during Long-Duration Spaceflight
- Benjamin D. Levine, M.D.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Cardiovascular Imaging and Strategies to Mitigate the Risk for Cardiac Events in Astronauts during Prolonged Spaceflight
- James D. Thomas, M.D.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Impact of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Cardiac Structure and Function
Smart Medical Systems and Technology Team:
- Gary E. Strangman, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Distributed System for Spaceflight Biomedical Support
A complete list of the NASA and NSBRI selected principal investigators, organizations and proposals is available on the NASA website at:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/acd/hrp_nsbri_awards_2010.html