HOUSTON – (Nov. 8, 2012) – Four young scientists have received postdoctoral fellowships from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). Through this two-year program, they conduct research with the eventual aim of protecting astronaut health during long-duration spaceflights.

In addition to receiving mentorship from a faculty member at their home institution, the fellows are members of one of NSBRI’s seven research teams. This allows them to interact with some of the nation’s leading researchers in their fields and to participate in NSBRI and NASA meetings.

“This class is filled with some of the most promising young researchers this nation has to offer,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Sutton, NSBRI president and CEO. “The fellows benefit from the program through the research experience they gain and the interactions they have with leading scientists. The human spaceflight community is also a beneficiary because NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellows have a history of conducting research that is valuable in reducing the health risks associated with long-duration spaceflight, and in improving life on Earth.”

The 2012-2014 NSBRI fellows, their institutions, teams and mentors are:

Brandon Macias
University of California, San Diego
NSBRI Team: Cardiovascular Alterations Team
Mentor: Alan Hargens, Ph.D.

Frances Meredith, Ph.D.
University of Colorado Denver
NSBRI Team: Sensorimotor Adaptation Team
Mentor: Katherine Rennie, Ph.D.

Anthony Lau, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NSBRI Team: Musculoskeletal Alterations Team
Mentor: Ted Bateman, Ph.D.

Michael Lee, Ph.D.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School
NSBRI Team: Human Factors and Performance Team
Mentor: Elizabeth Klerman, M.D., Ph.D.

Each participant receives a $42,500 stipend per year and additional funds to cover health insurance and travel to NSBRI-related meetings. The fellows also have an opportunity to attend the Summer Bioastronautics Institute (SBI) at NSBRI’s headquarters and demonstration laboratories in the BioScience Research Collaborative in Houston. The SBI emphasizes essential skills needed for a successful research career and connects the trainees with the NSBRI and NASA scientific communities. The SBI includes participants from NSBRI’s Summer Internship Program and Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences.

The NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program solicits applications annually. Applicants submit research project proposals to investigate a spaceflight-related health risk or to develop a technology needed to enable research or medical care in space. The project must be overseen by an experienced mentor and be carried out at a U.S. laboratory. Applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit by an independent review panel and by NSBRI management to ensure relevance to the Institute’s research program goals. Also, a competitive third-year extension of the fellowship is available. Information about NSBRI’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and this year’s class is available at www.nsbri.org/postdocs.

Since its inception in 2004, the NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program has had 32 participants.

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Note: NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium that studies the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight with peer-reviewed science, technology and education projects at more than 60 institutions across the United States. The science and technology development projects address space health concerns, which include bone and muscle loss, cardiovascular alterations, radiation exposure, neurobehavioral and psychosocial factors, remote medical care, and habitability and performance issues. Research findings also impact the understanding and treatment of similar medical conditions experienced on Earth.

Brad Thomas
NSBRI
713-798-7595
rbthomas@bcm.edu