NOTE TO EDITORS: News media and the public are invited to a series of weekend talks at 2 p.m. at The Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 S. Market Street, San Jose. Admission to the talks is free with a paid admission to The Tech.

Prominent female scientists from NASA Ames Research Center will discuss their experiences and their research with the public in a month-long series of weekend talks at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.

The talks are part of a continuing effort by Ames to inform the public about Ames’ and NASA’s research and programs. The series, titled “The Right Stuff: Women at NASA Share Their Stories,” will feature women from Ames describing their contributions to America’s space program, and how the space program has benefited women around the world.

“We hope that by sharing our experiences and those of women we know, we can arouse the thrill of being part of the unique (and sometimes out-of-this-world) agency called NASA,” said Bonnie Dalton, acting chief of Ames’ Life Sciences Division and one of the speakers.

Scheduled speakers and topics include:

Oct. 7: Bonnie Dalton, M.S. (Acting Chief, Life Sciences Division)

A Woman’s Place in Space

Oct. 14: Cassie Conley, Ph.D. (life sciences researcher)

Worms in Space

Oct. 20: Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D. (Chief, Gravitational Research Branch)

How Gravity Shapes Women’s Lives

Oct. 21: Sara Arnaud, M.D. (life sciences researcher)

How Space Scientists are Researching Osteoporosis

Oct. 27: Marilyn Vasques, M.S. (STS-107 project scientist)

Shuttle Flights: the Inside Story on Managing Experiments

Oct. 28: April Ronca, Ph.D. (life sciences researcher)

Birth and Development in Space

“Women are spending increasingly more time living and working in space,” said Ames scientist April Ronca. “NASA life sciences research is exploring the unique effects of gravity and the space environment on the biology of the female.”

One goal of NASA’s research is to help humans expand their presence in space. The lack of gravity and the high radiation environment present unique challenges to humans and other living organisms onboard the International Space Station and in future space colonies. If human destiny is to extend our presence in space, these challenges must be studied. Countermeasures must be developed when the effects of long-term space flight are harmful.

Women have played a key role in pursuing this research. Dalton noted that women in Ames’ Life Sciences Division have been involved in all aspects of research, both on Earth and in space. This research has improved our understanding of how long-term space flight affects living organisms. It also has shed new light on fundamental aspects of biology on Earth. NASA research and technology have helped the medical community address women’s health issues such as breast cancer and osteoporosis. Additional information is available at: http://lifesci.arc.nasa.gov

NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research promotes basic and applied research to support human exploration of space and to take advantage of the space environment as a laboratory. More information is available at: http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/

The Tech Museum is an educational resource designed to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in exploring and experiencing technologies affecting their lives, and to inspire young people to become innovators in developing the technologies of the future. More information is available at: http://www.thetech.com