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NSBRI Paves Way for Travel to Other Planets
by KATHY MAJOR
National Space Biomedical Research Institute
Integrated Human Function Team - Establishes an overall understanding of the complete human body's response to space flight through the development of a "digital human." The research will allow the various methods designed for solving health problems in space to be evaluated for their impact on the body.
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Trips to other planets might seem like Hollywood science fiction, but for National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) scientists, interplanetary exploration is a present-day challenge.
"Our research teams are working on solutions to the health risks that will be experienced on long-duration space missions," says Dr. Bobby R. Alford, NSBRI chairman and CEO. "We want to ensure that men and women can safely explore space without compromising their health during or after the flight."
Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors Team - Identifies neurobehavioral and psychosocial risks to crew health, safety and productivity, develops methods to monitor brain functions and behavior, and discovers solutions to enhance performance, motivation and quality of life. Leadership style, crew composition, organization and communication will also be investigated to optimize crew effectiveness and mission success.
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Established in 1997 through a NASA competition, the Institute's research will expand in October to cover four additional areas. At present, NSBRI has eight research teams working on critical space health issues.
The new areas - nutrition, physical fitness and rehabilitation; neurobehavioral and psychosocial factors; integrated human function; and smart medical systems - will allow more complete coverage of health issues related to two-to-three year exploration missions including:
- How much and what type of food is needed to maintain proper nutrition?
- What type of exercise and rehabilitation is needed before, during and after the flight?
- How can astronauts best cope with the separation from family and Earth while on long missions?
- What type of leadership style and crew composition will be most favorable?
- How can medical diagnoses be made and treatments delivered in deep space?
- How can surgery be done in space?
- How do the solutions or activities implemented to maintain health of various systems - bone, heart and muscle - affect the total human body?
Nutrition, Physical Fitness and Rehabilitation Team - Focuses on a prescribed routine of fitness and nutrition that will enhance other solutions for problems such as bone and muscle loss and cardiac conditioning. Since astronaut explorers will be exposed to various levels of gravity and zero gravity, the team will determine the proper nutrients and exercise needed before, during and upon return from long missions.
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"Like the original eight research areas, each of these areas holds potential for advancing prevention and treatment issues on Earth," says Dr. Alford, who is executive vice president and dean of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
The eight existing teams, composed of researchers from across the nation, address bone loss, muscle weakening, cardiovascular changes, sleep disturbances, immunology and infection, balance and orientation, radiation exposure, and medical research technology requirements.
Smart Medical Systems Team - Develops new methods for remote medical diagnosis and treatment. Possible technologies needed include space surgery techniques, medication-manufacturing capabilities, routine health-monitoring systems, robotic medical assistance, and automated devices to aid in decision-making, training and diagnosis.
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NSBRI is currently accepting research proposals for the four new areas as well as proposals for the eight current research teams. The research announcements and submission deadlines can be found at http://www.nsbri.org. Research opportunities are open to all U.S. research facilities.
The NSBRI's consortium members are Baylor, which serves as the lead institution, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, The Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Rice University, Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Health System, and University of Washington.
©2006 Texas Medical Center
E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/04_15_00/page_02.html
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