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Effects of Space Flight on the Human Body
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Presenters:
Monica Trevathan
Monica joined the NASA family in the year 2000 directly after completing her Masters
Degree in Instructional Technology from University of Houston-Clear Lake. She began
her career in the aerospace industry with the Training Division at the Johnson Space
Center where she worked as an instructional designer for the ISS Expedition Crew
Working Group.
With the Boeing Company she developed a training program for the Software Engineering
(ISS Avionics) group. Previously, she earned her teaching certification in secondary
mathematics and taught high school Algebra and Geometry in the JSC area. She has
been part of the Human Health and Performance Education Outreach team as an education
specialist for close to 2 years and continues to work with educators and students
nationally and internationally.
Sara R. Zwart
Sara R. Zwart earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from
the University of Notre Dame in 1999, and her doctorate from the University of Florida
in Nutritional Sciences in 2003. Her doctoral work involved studying the effects
of anti-epileptic drugs on vitamin metabolism. She joined the Nutritional Biochemistry
Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 2003 as a National Research Council
Post-doctoral Fellow.
As a member of the Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory, she is studying the relationships
between nutrition and bone and muscle loss associated with weightlessness. She is
currently researching the development of various nutritional countermeasures to
prevent negative side effects of space flight. Along with nutrition research, the
Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory performs operational work, which includes nutritional
status assessments of astronauts before and after long-duration space flight.
Bill Amonette
William Amonette has worked for Wyle Laboratories at NASA-JSC for the Exercise Physiology
Laboratory, for the Countermeasures Evaluation and Validation Project, and now for
the Astronaut Strength Conditioning and Rehabilitation Team. In addition to his
work at NASA, Mr. Amonette is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston-Clear
Lake (UHCL) in the Department of Fitness and Human Performance. At UHCL he teaches
applied kinesiology, laboratory techniques in exercise physiology, and strength
training techniques/ program design, as well as coordinating internships for UHCL
students.
Mr. Amonette is a Strength and Conditioning Coach for many athletes who
live and train in the Houston area. These athletes include a 2002 world team member
and finalist at the 2004 U.S. Track and Field Olympic trials, a 10-year veteran
power forward for the Chicago Bulls, an 11-time NBA all star and current coach for
the Houston Rockets, Junior Olympian weight lifters, and several collegiate and
high school male and female athletes from a variety of sports (football, boxing,
volleyball, softball, soccer, tennis, hockey, track and field, and Olympic weight
lifting). Mr. Amonette has served as a consultant for the Guatemalan National Baseball
Federation, Houston Rockets, and Wellness Management Services.
Before coming to Wyle Laboratories, Mr. Amonette worked as an Intern Strength and
Conditioning Coach at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. He received
his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Fitness and Human Performance from the University
of Houston-Clear Lake. Mr. Amonette is a certified strength and conditioning specialist
(CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and certified
as a Level one coach through USA Weight lifting and USA Track and Field.
Dr Steven H. Platts
Steven H. Platts, Ph.D. earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987, and his doctorate in Cardiovascular
Physiology from The Texas A&M University College of Medicine in 2000. He then completed
a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in
Charlottesville, with the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics.
Dr. Platts joined USRA in 2003 to work in the Cardiovascular Laboratory at the NASA
Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. His current research focuses on space flight
mediated changes in cardiovascular function and the development of countermeasures.
This work includes conducting in- flight and ground-based research studies regarding
the adaptations of the cardiovascular system to space flight with an emphasis on
deconditioning and vascular dysfunction. Ongoing projects include mission support
in medical operations as well as ground-based (bed rest and hypovolemia) studies.
Scott M. Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Smith leads the Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space
Center. The primary goal of this group is to determine the nutritional requirements
for extended-duration space flight. This involves conducting operational (that is,
clinical or medical) studies of the nutritional status of International Space Station
crew members, as well as human nutrition research experiments. Ongoing research
projects include studies of the effects of weightlessness on calcium and bone metabolism
and the investigation of countermeasures (or treatments)for ameliorating spaceflight-induced
changes in bone. Dr. Smith is the principal investigator of a calcium kinetics experiment
that was part of the STS-107 mission on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Dr. Smith participated in the definition of the current nutritional recommendations
for extended duration space flight, and is Co-Chair of the Multilateral Medical
Operations Panel - Nutrition Working Group, which includes representatives from
the Canadian, European, Japanese, and Russian space agencies.
Dr. Smith is very active in supporting NASA’s education and outreach efforts, including
developing the “Adopt-a-Classroom” project and the associated Space Nutrition Newsletter,
and developing a space nutritional biochemistry course at the University of Houston
in 2004.
Dr. Smith has received many awards throughout his tenure at NASA, including team
and individual awards. In 2003 he received a NASA Space Flight Awareness Silver
Snoopy Award for outstanding performance, contributing to flight safety and mission
success. In 2004, he was a nominee for the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
(RNASA) Foundation’s Stellar Award.
Dr. Smith received a B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University in 1985,
and a Ph.D. in Nutrition in 1990, also from Penn State. His postdoctoral research
work was conducted at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, North
Dakota, on the interactions of micro nutrients and thermo regulation. He moved to
Houston in 1992 to work at the Johnson Space Center.
Lisa Neasbitt
Earning the classification as First Class Girl Scout, the highest honor in Girl
Scouting, paved the way for Lisa to graduate from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Science Curriculum and Instruction. After teaching inquiry
based middle school science for 15 years, she became a curriculum developer and
instructor for The Dell Children’s Museum in Austin, Texas. Lisa then continued
her career in Science education as a Science and Technology Facilitator with the
Brazosport Independent School District. During this time she also became an Internal
Facilitator for The Southwest Center for Accelerated Schools, bringing her years
of teaching experience to over 20.
The students in her school district nominated her for Educator Astronaut in 2002,
and she became an applicant in 2003. Lisa came to the Johnson Space Center Human
Health and Performance Education and Outreach team in 2004 as a Scientist/K-12 Educator.
Her primary focus is developing educational materials and teaching about the human
in space, as well as working with students and other educators.
Julia Bulkowski
Julia Bulkowski recently joined the NASA’s Human Health and Performance education
outreach team at Ames Research Center (California) as a life sciences education
specialist. Teaching sixth grade for several years gave her insights to the value
of inquiry- and manipulative-based education.
She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Neuroscience from Brown University
and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Education, focusing on Instructional
Technology, from San Jose State University.
For more information contact webseminars@nsta.org
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Underwritten in part by NASA
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