The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) has announced that seven outstanding thought leaders, including two female astronauts, have joined its Scientific Advisory Board that provides strategic guidance to the NASA-funded research institute.

TRISH leads a national effort in translating terrestrial research that can help guard human health in space exploration. As NASA prepares to go back to the moon and SpaceX plans to launch the first all-civilian crew to space in late 2021, TRISH’s mission to keep all space travelers healthy is more vital than ever.

“We are at the cusp of space becoming more accessible to regular people. We are working toward safeguarding the health of all humans — astronauts exploring deep space and people with preexisting conditions that want to experience space for short periods. TRISH’s diverse advisory board members will help us focus our resources on the most impactful health technology and science innovations,” said Institute Director, Dorit Donoviel, Ph.D.

“From pharma and industry leaders to retired astronauts, this board benefits from an incredible wealth of technical and practical experience and leadership,” said Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Lisa Suennen. “This is the right group to expand TRISH’s reach and help us push on the boundaries of what we think we know about protecting the body and mind in space.”

The newly appointed members are:

They join existing members:



Led by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine, TRISH is a consortium which includes partners Caltech and MIT. NASA recently awarded the institute a six-year extension to further its work delivering disruptive solutions that mitigate biomedical risks for human space exploration while advancing terrestrial health technologies.

Learn more about the Translational Research Institute for Space Health at bcm.edu/spacehealth.