DSLS Newsletter
UNIVERSITIES SPACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
July 2010
Honors and Awards
Ianik
Plante
finished
third in
the Poster
Contest’s Ianik Plante, MD PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
category at the 21st Annual NASA Space Radiation Investigators’ Workshop, Port Jefferson, New
York. His poster was entitled “Monte-Carlo
simulation of radiation
track structure and calculation of dose deposition
in nanovolumes.”
Marguerite
Sognier received the
Ball High
School
Magnet
Marguerite Sognier, PhD
Program
Appreciation Award.
Lori PloutzSnyder delivered the commencement
address to the
Syracuse
University
Lori Ploutz-Snyder, PhD
School of
Education.
Ianik also received a
Scholars in Training
(SIT) travel award for the
56th Annual Meeting of
the Radiation Research
Society, to be held in
Maui, Hawaii, September
26-29, 2010.
Ajitkumar Mulavara and
Jeff Ryder received the
NASA
JSC
Group
Achievement
Award,
Ajit Mulavara, PhD
Functional
U.S. Patent Awarded
Task Test
Team, “for
outstanding
development and
implemenJeff Ryder, PhD
tation of
the Functional Task Test
interdisciplinary pre- and
post-flight testing for
evaluation of the postflight functional performance”.
Larry
Kuznetz
was invited
by former
astronaut
Charles
Larry Kuznetz, PhD
Camarda to
assist him with planning
and teaching a summer
education outreach program to undergrad and
high school students at
the New York Polytechnic Institute.
Janice Huff: U.S. Patent #7,690.325, issued in April, 2010: Method and
apparatus for depositing material onto a surface (Assignee: BioForce
Nanosciences, Inc.) - for nanoscale protein pattering.
Grants Awarded
Christian Otto, MD
Janice Huff, PhD
G. Osinski’s and Christian Otto’s proposal “Impacts and Ice: Lunar
Sample Return from the South Pole – Aitken Basin” for a shortduration (7-day) lunar human mission test scenario at Mistastin Lake
Crater, Labrador, Canada, a 3-week field season in the summer of
2010, and a 3-4 week season in 2011, was accepted for funding by the
Canadian Space Agency.
The JSC Innovation Charge Account authorized 23
proposals for Cycle 2. Among those awardees is Susana Zanello.
Susi’s idea centered on process improvement for RNA-DNA Storage and Transport at Room Temperature.
Congratulations, Susi and Christian!
Susi Zanello, PhD
Grant Proposals Submitted
Hu S, Gunaratne GH, & Cucinotta FA. Characterization of the radiation-damaged compartmental structure of bone marrow based on modeling of the peripheral blood cells response.
Proposal No. W81XWH-10- BMFRP-EHDA, submitted in response to DoD Congressionally
Directed Medical Research Programs.
Osinski G & Otto C. An in situ investigation of geology in a lunar analogue environment.
Submitted to the Canadian Space Agency.
Shaowen Hu, PhD
Otto C. Human Space Exploration Analogue Study: In Situ Monitoring of Human Health and Performance in
Remote Environments. Submitted to the Canadian Space Agency.
Ploutz-Snyder L, Step 2 proposal, Does Milk Enhance The Effectiveness of Exercise for the Maintenance of
Muscle Function During Extended Periods Of Unloading?, submitted to the National Dairy Council for funding to supplement the NASA limb suspension study.
Ponomarev A, Garlick J, Kadhim M, Belyakov O, Saganti P, Holland SD. Space Radiation Induced Cancer
Progression and Genomic Instability in Human Bioengineered 3D Tissues and Humanized Mouse Models
(SPACERADCAN), submitted in response to NRA NNJ10ZSA001N.
Byerly D, Arndt D, Sognier M, Kulkarni A. Non-invasive Combined Countermeasure for Bone Loss and
Muscle Atrophy for Exploration Missions, submitted to NASA Innovation Fund.
Byerly D, Arndt D, Sognier M, Weinstein R. Human Shielding from Space Radiation using HighTemperature Superconductors (HTSC), submitted to NASA Innovation Fund.
Byerly D, Arndt D, Sognier M. Noninvasive, Innovative Countermeasure for Skin Disorders for Exploration,
submitted to NASA Innovation Fund.
Houston C & Sognier M. T-STEM Center Cycle 2, selected as a finalist by the Texas Education Agency.
Houston C and Sognier M. Phase I proposal to the Collaborative Action Group on Climate Change Literacy in
the Caribbean Eco-region (COACCH), National Science Foundation.
Westby C. The Effects of Low Fluence High Energy Particle Radiation on Measures of
Vascular Function, Oxidative Stress, and Systemic Inflammation”, submitted step II proposal in response to Ground-Based Studies in Space Radiobiology NRA
NNJ10ZSA001N.
Chris Westby, PhD
Clément G and Wood S. Straight-ahead in Microgravity, accepted for definition phase, International Life Sciences Research Announcement: Research Opportunities for Flight Experiments in
Space Life Sciences on the ISS (ILSRA-2009-1093).
Scott Wood, PhD
Zwart SR & Smith SM. Exploration of the interrelationships between diet, biochemical markers of nutrient status, and chromosomal damage from ISS missions, submitted as a data mining
proposal to HRP.
Happy Birthday!
The following DSLS team members July 16 - Gail Pacetti
are celebrating their birthday in the July 25 - Artem Ponomarev
near future:
August 9 - Ginger Wotring
July 8 - Jancy McPhee
August 14 - Kay Nute
July 15 - Alex Dunlap
August 24 - Shaowen Hu
JULY 2010
August 25 - Lori
Chappell
Happy birthday to you - and
many happy returns of the day!
Page 2
SPOTLIGHT ON: Rob Ploutz-Snyder, PhD!
Rob PloutzSnyder, PhD, a
Senior Scientist in
Biostatistics
Laboratory, was recently interviewed for the Spotlight Article.
Tell us about yourself and your
family.
You may regret asking me about
my family because it is my favorite subject in the world to talk
about and there’s limited space in
this article! Most USRA folks
probably know my wife, Lori, because she is also a USRA scientist.
Lori heads up the Exercise Physiology and Counter Measures lab at
NASA JSC. We’ve been happily
married for almost 18 years and
have two healthy, beautiful children. Our oldest girl, Alexis, just
turned 10 in June. Her little sister
Allison will be 7 in September.
Both were born in Syracuse, where
we lived for about 13 years prior to
moving to Houston to work for
USRA in the summer of 2008.
(Prior to USRA, I was an Associate Professor of Medicine at the
State University of New York, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.) They seem to have adjusted well to the Texas climate
and culture, and are thriving at
their school in League City. They
are both competitive swimmers
year round, which means that we
spend every weekend in the summer, and many weekends throughout the rest of the year cheering
them on at various swim meets
held throughout the region. That’s
great fun; let me tell you, but it is a
huge commitment getting the girls
to swim practice 5 or 6 days per
week. Luckily, my mother also
recently moved to Texas (from
JULY 2010
Pennsylvania) to be nearby and
spend more time with her grandchildren, and she helps out tremendously with getting the kids to/
from swim practice after school.
Our kids keep us busy, no doubt,
but I could not possibly imagine
life without them.
What are you presently working on
at JSC?
I work in the Human Research
Program’s (HRP) Biostatistics Lab
with Drs. Al Feiveson and USRA
Scientist James Fiedler. We work
on quite a variety of studies with
scientists from many of the labs
and projects in/around the HRP.
The huge diversity of projects is
one of the things that I really love
about my job because I get to learn
about so many different disciplines
and the issues and problems they
are dealing with as relates to
spaceflight and the human. I work
closely with members of the Bone,
Exercise Physiology & Countermeasures (ExPC), Neurology, Nutrition, Cardiology, and Behavioral
Health labs in trying to appreciate
how microgravity affects the human systems, and how best to
model and quantify those changes.
My contributions are primarily in
designing/conducting the statistical
models that characterize and quantify these changes, and in comparing the effectiveness of different
countermeasures designed to reduce the negative effects.
I also work some with scientists
and engineers from the EVA project in helping them understand
how different aspects of the EVA
suit interact with characteristics of
the human to affect performance.
Recently I’ve been working with
USRA Scientist Dr. Larry Kuznetz
on a statistical model
that will help the EVA
team estimate consumables remaining dur- Rob Ploutz-Snyder, PhD
ing an EVA from
sensors (and proposed sensors) in
the suits so that future suits can be
intelligent enough to alert the astronauts when they should return from
EVA. We presented our statistical
model at a recent Biometrics conference but we still have a few outstanding issues to work on.
Perhaps my favorite current study is
a multidisciplinary investigation in
which we are examining data across
several disciplines collected from
our long duration astronauts. This
study emanated from the ExPC lab
as part of their endeavor to understand how the historical exercise
prescriptions and the data they obtain from existing exercise hardware (CVIS, TVIS, RED) relate to
changes in several bone measures,
nutritional markers for bone
changes, several muscle strength
and work capacity variables, and
some cardiovascular fitness outcomes. It’s a very rich dataset combining information from several key
disciplines, and we are also using it
to better understand how changes in
one system relate to changes in another. This is the first time I’ve
been involved with such a multidisciplinary study at NASA, and that
is particularly exciting. Nevertheless, this also presents some very
serious challenges from a statistical
perspective, and that has my wheels
spinning! Multidiscipline studies
have many variables, and that typically demands ‘big-n’ for multivariate analysis. Even with all ISS astronaut data in-hand, our sample
size remains small!
Continued on page 4
Page 3
(Cont.:) SPOTLIGHT ON: Rob Ploutz-Snyder, PhD!
Add to that the realities of missing
data in all of those variables and
sample size can quickly drop to
less than a handful. This is certainly not something that can be
handled with traditional statistical
methods, but we are making progress using a combination of multiple imputation techniques for
handling missing data and complex multivariate analysis to model
the multidisciplinary relationships.
Sprinkle in a little Bayesian here
and there, and now you have
something to get excited about (if
you’re a stats geek like me).
of also tacking on the statistical
analysis part of a proposal AFTER
a study has been designed, or
worse, after data collection has
begun. By then, it’s too late to
make changes to an experimental
protocol, and all too often that
means that I am not able to apply
the very best analytical techniques
due to experimental design constraints. So it is very rewarding for
me when I am able to work with
colleagues early in the design
phases of a study, so that ultimately we are able to answer the
research questions to the best of
our abilities.
that have the potential to reduce
the negative impact of missing
data. MI is no “silver bullet” that
repairs all missing data problems,
but with better computing power
and a combination of Bayesian and
Frequentist techniques, I think that
MI may be one way in which the
Biostatistics lab can make better use
of the data that HRP researchers
acquire.
What is the one aspect about statistics everyone should know (but
probably is afraid to ask)?
It is my sincere hope that nobody is
What is most important to you reWhat are your goals for this year? afraid to ask questions, statistical or
garding your work at JSC?
One of the biggest challenges that otherwise. I have been fortunate
When I am able to meet with reenough over the years to work on
searchers early in the process, as in I experience working at NASA is
some very successful and producthat the datasets that we have to
when they are designing a new
tive research teams. Common to all
work with are painfully small in
study or starting to write a new
terms of sample size, and this
of them was the idea that a producgrant proposal, I feel like I can
make the biggest impact because I problem is exacerbated by missing tive research team requires expertise from several disciplines; no sincan help them understand how ex- data issues that are commonplace
perimental design details can enin our research. We collect a lot of gle investigator can know it all.
able us to use better statistical
data from many different research (Gone are single-author publicatechniques in the end. Researchers venues, but common to all of them tions or grant proposals days!)
often think about statistics as
You know, when I work with conis the fact that NASA research is
something that happens at the end very expensive and time consumtent experts, they are never surprised to learn that I am not an exing to conduct. That often means
of a study, and I suppose that’s
pert in their discipline. So why then
that we end up with very small
natural because temporally, the
are people sometimes ‘afraid to ask’
datasets that are underpowered to
analysis happens then. This can
have the unfortunate consequence detect the effects that we are look- statistical questions, when that’s not
ing for. To make matters worse,
their discipline either? Statistics,
our datasets are often plagued with like every other discipline, is not
missing data due to the real-world static. It has evolved over the years,
constraints imposed on research
and the statistics that discipline
participants. ISS astronauts, for
leaders learned back when s/he was
example, often miss a planned data in graduate school may not be the
cutting edge techniques of today.
acquisition due to mission operaRealizing that, I hope that people
tions. The consequences of missknow that it is always good to ask
ing data can be severe from a statistical perspective, so one of my
questions.
big goals this year is to get up to
Thanks so much for agreeing to be
speed on the latest multiple imputhe DSLS Spotlight Scientist for this
tation (MI) theory and applications
Lori, Rob, Alexis & Allison Ploutz-Snyder
edition of the newsletter, Rob!
JULY 2010
Page 4
New Publications by DSLS Scientists
Cucinotta FA &
Chappell LJ. 2010.
Non-targeted effects
and the dose response
for heavy ion tumor
induction. Mutation
Lori Chappell, MS
Research, 687: 49 53.
Schwadron NA,
Townsend l, Kozarev
K, Dayeh MA, Cucinotta F, Desai M,
Golightly M, Hassler
D, Hatcher R, Kim
MY, Posner A,
Myung Kim, PhD
PourArsalan M,
Spence HE, Squier RK. 2010.
Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module framework. Space
Weather, 8, S00E02.
Otto C, Comtois J-M, Sargsyan A,
Dulchavsky A, Rubinfield I, Dulchavsky S. 2010. The Martian
chronicles: remotely guided diagnosis and treatment in the arctic
circle. Journal of Surgical Endoscopy. E-pub ahead of print:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00464010-0917-1
Kelleher AR, Hackney KJ, Fairchild TJ, Keslacy S, PloutzSnyder LL. 2010. The Metabolic
Costs of Reciprocal Supersets vs.
Traditional Resistance Exercise in
Young Recreationally Active
Adults. J Strength Cond Res 24
(4): 1043 - 51.
Ponomarev A, Huff J, Cucinotta
FA. 2010. The
analysis of the
densely populated
patterns of radiation-induced foci
by a stochastic,
Monte Carlo
Artem Ponomarev, PhD
model of DNA
Education and Public Outreach
“Scouting “ interview with Sara
Holt, producer for the PBS
NOVA series, and began to menJohnny Conkin mentored an Aero- tor NSBRI Summer Intern Cheryl
Goetz. Roni also reviewed an arspace Medicine Clerk assigned a
ticle for the Journal of Gerontolproject to understand more about
ogy Psychological Sciences.
the knee joint and DCS. He proRamona Gaza provided a lab
vided altitude chamber tours for
seven Aerospace Medicine Clerks
tour for the Space X Team.
and briefed five Flight Surgeons on Megumi Hada hosted a science
DCS and hypoxia research. Johnny seminar and lab tour for visiting
also provided a technical review of Japanese scientist Dr. Yatagai,
a paper on “decompression illness
and reviewed a manuscript for
risk at 6553 m breathing two gas
Radiation Research.
mixtures” for Aviat Space and EnMyung Kim made weekly contriviron Med and provided extensive
analysis of his own data in order to butions to the Earth-Moon-Mars
Radiation Exposure Module
assist the authors with their revi(EMMREM) community.
sions.
Larry Kuznetz mentors Tom
Roni Cromwell participated in a
Regina Buccello-Stout is mentoring a Human Factors and Ergonomics student.
JULY 2010
double-strand breaks induction by
heavy ions. International Journal of
Radiation Biology, 86(6), 507-515.
Jain V, Wood SJ,
Feiveson AH, Black
FO, Paloski WH.
2010. Diagnostic
accuracy of dynamic
posturography testing after shortScott Wood, PhD
duration space flight.
Aviat Space Environ Med 81:62563.
Zwart SR, Pierson
D, Mehta S, Gonda S,
Smith. 2010. Capacity of omega-3 fatty
acids or eicosapentaenoic acid to counSara Zwart, PhD
teract weightlessness-induced bone
loss by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation: From cells to bed rest to astronauts. J Bone Miner Res, 25(5):
1049-1057.
Miller, a graduate student at the
University of Southwest Alabama,
regarding an improved 2Dimensional human body thermal
model.
Ajit Mulavara provided a lab tour
for Prof. Marras from Ohio State
University.
Lealem Mulugeta continued the
conceptual development of an
online STEM education game centered on human health and countermeasures for space exploration missions He recruited one Biology major student for a summer internship
with the Digital Astronaut Project,
and agreed to mentor a Biomedical
Engineering student assigned to the
DAP by NASA management.
Continued on Page 9
Page 5
Recent Scientific Presentations
Abstract. Patel ZS, Grugan KD,
Rustgi AK, Cucinotta FA, Huff JL.
Modulation of esoAbstract. Chappell LJ & Cucinotta
phageal epithelial
FA. Non-targeted effects and the
cell behavior by irradose response for heavy ion tumoridiated stromal fibrogenesis. Poster presented by
blast: Effects of raZarana Patel, PhD
Chappell.
diation quality.
Abstract. Whalen MW, Sridharan
Poster presented by Patel.
DM, Chappell LJ, Cucinotta FA,
Abstract. Plante I, Cucinotta FA.
Pluth JM. Radiation quality deMonte-Carlo simulation of radiapendent effects on phosphor-protein
tion track structure and calculakinetics and surrogate cancer endtion of dose deposition in nanopoints. Poster presented by Pluth.
volumes. Poster presented by
Abstract. Carra C, Wang M, Huff Plante.
JL, Hada M, Pluth JM, O’Neill P,
Abstract. Ponomarev AL, CornCucinotta FA. Pathforth MN, Loucas BD, Cucinotta
way model of the kiFA. The distribution of small ring
netics of TGFβ anproducts and associated deletions
tagonist Smad7 and
in human chromosomes as precross-talk with the
dicted by a generalized model of
ATM and WNT pathradiation-induced aberration forMinli Wang, MD
ways. Poster premation. Poster presented by
sented by Wang.
Ponomarev.
Abstract. George K, Hada M,
Abstract. Wang M, Tian L, Tang
Cucinotta F. Silicon ions have a
X, Wang H. Interaction of PARPsignificantly higher biological ef1 and CDK5 in DNA damage refectiveness than iron ions for the
sponse in neural cells exposed to
induction of chromosome damage
space radiation. Poster presented
in human lymphocytes.
by H. Wang.
Abstract. Hada M,
81st Annual Scientific Meeting
Zhang Y, Feiveson A,
of the Aerospace Medical AssoCucinotta FA, Wu H.
ciation, Phoenix, Arizona
Distribution of lowand high-LET radiation Abstract. Conkin J. Defining niinduced breaks in chro- trogen kinetics for air break in
prebreathe. Presentation.
Megumi Hada, PhD mosomes are associated with inter- and
Abstract. Bloomberg J, Mulavara
intrachromosome exchanges. Poster A, Peters B, Brady R, Batson C,
presented by Wu.
Cohen H. Training modalities to
21st Annual NASA Space Radiation Investigators’ Workshop,
Port Jefferson, New York
Abstract. Kim M-HY, Cucinotta
FA. Overview of the graphical user
interface for the GERM code (GCR
Event-based Risk Model). Poster
presented by Kim.
increase sensorimotor adaptability.
Abstract. Mulavara A, Fiedler
M, Kofman I, Fisher E, Wood S,
Serrador J, Peters B , Cohen H, Reschke M, Bloomberg J. Development of vestibular stochastic resonance as a sensorimotor countermeasure.
Abstract. Otto C, Williams R, Dulchavsky S.
Asynchronous Guidance of a Non-Surgeon
Crew Medical Officer
Performing a Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Christian Otto, MD
Breaking Down the
Mars Communication Barrier. Oral
talk.
Abstract. Otto C. Antarctica as an
Analog for Reducing Behavioral
Health and Team Performance
Risks in Human Spaceflight. Oral
talk.
Abstract. Dean SL, Paloski
WH,Taylor LC, Vanya RD, Feiveson AH, Wood SJ. Evaluation of
learning associated with multiple
exposures to computerized dynamic
posturography.
Abstract. Kayanickupuram AJ,
Ramos KA, Cordova ML, Wood
SJ. Spatial cognitive performance
during adaptation to conflicting tilttranslation stimuli as a sensorimotor
spaceflight analog.
Abstract. Taylor LC, Harm DL,
Kozlovskaya IB, Reschke MF,
Wood SJ. Spaceflight sensorimotor
analogs: Simulating acute and adaptive effects.
Abstract. Oman CM, Bloomberg JJ,
Young LR, Wood SJ, Moore ST,
Mulavara A. Sensorimotor Challenges of Space Exploration Missions. Panel session.
(Cont. on page 7)
Page 6
Recent Scientific Presentations (cont.)
Abstract. Wood SJ, Clarke AH,
Rupert AH, Harm DL Clément GR.
Modification of otolith-ocular reflexes, motion perception and manual control during variable radius
centrifugation following spaceflight.
International Space Medicine
Summit 2010, Rice University
Invited talk. Otto C. International
Integrated Analog/Ground-Based
and Space Collaborative Research
Projects.
11th International Workshop on
Radiation Damage to DNA,
Atlanta, Georgia
Abstract. Carra C,
Cucinotta FA. Selectivity and binding
mechanism of e. coli
DNA recombinase
protein, a computaClaudio Carra, PhD
tional approach. Oral
talk presented by Carra.
The Nexus of Research on
Cancer, Radiation and Supercomputing, Rice University
Abstract. Hu S &
Cucinotta FA.
Characterization of
the irradiationdamaged compartmental structure of Shaowen Hu, PhD
bone marrow
based on modeling of the dynamics
of granulocytes in blood. Poster.
Abstract. Plante I.
Monte-Carlo Simulation of Heavy Ion
Track Structure. Calculation of Local
Dose and 3D Time
Ianik Plante, MD PhD Evolution of Radiolytic Species. Poster.
NASA JSC Space Radiation
Journal Club
Statistical Methods and
Applications Review
Carra C, Theoretical Study on
the Binding Mechanism of the
Replication Protein A (RPA).
Fiedler J, More Topics in Data Visualization.
Hada M, The contribution of Homologous Recombination Repair
in repairing DSBs induced by
high LET irradiation (Article review).
Fiedler J, Data Visualization – Part 3.
Kim M-H, Atwell W, Tylka AJ,
Dietrich WF, & Cucinotta FA,
Radiation Dose Assessments of
Solar Particle Events with Spectral Representation at High Energies for the Improvement of Radiation Protection.
Mangala L.
Biocompatible
nanovectors for
in vivo siRNA
delivery.
Wang M, Poly
Lingegowda Mangala, PhD
(ADP-ribose)
polymerase protects neural cells from clustered DNA damage induced by
ionizing radiation.
DSLS Brown Bag Luncheon
Seminar Series
Gaza R & Wood SJ. Preparing
for suborbital biomedical research: personal perspectives
from the NASTAR training
course.
Otto C. Breaking Down the Mars
Communication Barrier: Asynchronous Guidance of a NonSurgeon Crew Medical Office
Performing a Laparoscopic Appendectomy.
James Fiedler, PhD
Presentations at Other
Conferences and Seminars
Invited talk. Conkin J. Flight Surgeons DCS Overview: Research
Experience 1980 – 2010, presented
to military Residents in Aerospace
Medicine (RAMs), NASA JSC.
Abstract. Danielson RW & Wood
SJ. Auditory and vestibular issues
related to human spaceflight. Audiology NOW!, San Diego, CA. Invited feature session.
Invited talk. Wotring
V. Pharmacology –
from Molecules to
Spaceflight. UTMB
Pharmacology and
Toxicology Department weekly seminar,
Galveston, TX.
Ginger Wotring, PhD
Invited talk. Wotring V. Pharmacological Issues for Astronauts.
New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association for Science and Technology,
Somerset, NJ.
Invited talk. Zanello S. Cellular
and Molecular Methods in Biomedical Research. Baylor Flight
Clinic Grand Rounds, NASA JSC.
Abstract. Smith SM, Pierson DL,
Mehta SK, Zwart SR. Intake of
fish and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids:
effect on humans during actual and
simulated weightlessness. Exp Biol,
2010.
Page 7
What’s Going On With …. ?
Alexander Dunlap, DVM
Alexander Dunlap
is preparing to chair
a full day scientific
session at the upcoming COSPAR
meeting in
Bremen, Germany.
James Fiedler
wrote two new State programs:
one to auto-generate variable labels while creating variables, and
one for Rob Ploutz-Snyder to
transfer some imputed data values
into a Stata data set in place of
missing data values.
DSLS members of the Space Radiation Analysis Group:
Ramona Gaza ,Dazhuang Zhou, and Yvonne Roed.
The Space Radiation Analysis
Group (Ramona Gaza, Dazhuang Zhou, and Yvonne Roed)
recently participated in a Six
Sigma event to evaluate the current lab workflow and to optimize
productivity for the Shuttle and
ISS radiation flight hardware processing. Objectives of this three-day
event were met successfully, and
the lab scored high after completion. For more information about
Six Sigma, please visit http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma.
Under MyungHee Kim’s leadership, the old
version of
GERM code was
modified extensively to fix
Myung-Hee Kim, PhD
compiling and
run-time errors. The new fully compatible GERM code was made with
64-bit Intel FORTRAN compiler on
a 64-bit MS Windows XP operating
system.
Jancy McPhee continued the development of the Youth Art
Competition associated with the Humans
in Space Symposium.
Jancy McPhee, PhD
With the help of international colleagues, especially at ESA, the
competition flyer has been trans-
ISS Research Academy!
On August 3 - 5, 2010, NASA’s ISS National Lab Office will hold an
ISS Research Academy at South Shore Harbour Hotel. The purpose of
the academy is to provide new principal investigators an overview of the
capabilities of the ISS for research; to educate participants about available ISS research opportunities and application processes for NASA,
NIH and NSF; to provide a good understanding of the NASA ISS Payload Planning, Integration and Operation Process; and to inform about
several services that the NASA ISS Payloads Office has available.
For more information and to register for this no-cost academy, please go
to
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/466224main_NASA_ISS_payload_Training
_Academy_062910.pdf
JULY 2010
lated into five languages and distributed to teacher workshops. Go
to http://www.dsls.usra.edu/
meetings/IAA/artContest/ to
learn more!
Ianik Plante was invited to write
a chapter for the book “Theory
and Applications of Monte Carlo
Simulations”. Ianik was also invited as a speaker in a symposium
on “Bridging the gap between
track structure and stable end
products” at the upcoming 56th
Annual Meeting of the Radiation
Research Society in Hawaii.
Lori Ploutz-Snyder was certified
as an instructor for flight training
studies (Sprint).
Frank Sulzman
worked with NASA
HQ to prepare the
NAS radiation review, and coordinated the status of
proton beam lines
Frank Sulzman, PhD
and NASA investigator usage with Loma Linda University.
Scott Wood completed ZAGOtolith STS-132 Post-flight testing with 2 subjects, and continued
preflight data collection on STS133 and 134 (1 subject each).
Scott also completed post-flight
MedB1.5 (Posture medical requirement) testing on 2 subjects
returning from ISS expedition 23,
and performed preflight data collection for Expedition 24.
Sara Zwart submitted
the Nutrition chapter
for the Biomedical
Results of Shuttle book.
Page 8
Education and Public Outreach (cont. from Page 5)
Christian Otto contributed to the
article “The Antarctic Happiness
Plan-Insights from Life on the
Edge”, which was published in the
April Issue of Psychology Today.
Read the article at http://
www.psychologytoday.com/
articles/201003/welcome-outerhead-space.
Christian was interviewed on
“Extreme work” by the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation “The
Current” Morning News & Current Affairs Program. Listen to his
interview at http://www.cbc.ca/
thecurrent/2010/04/april-202010.html.
team, acting as ‘CEO’ of Yellow
Jacket Aerospace, a fictional aerospace company competing to develop a Mars Autonomous Roving
Survey Utility Vehicle
(MARSUV). Her team designed,
built, and tested a rover prototype
on a simulated Mars environment,
remaining within budget.
limb venous compliance following
long-term bed rest.
Scott Wood mentors Guan Lu
Zhang, International Space University Masters Program, and Tomoko
Makishama MD PhD, UTMB, NIH
K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist
Award. Scott also reviewed manuscripts for Experimental Brain Research.
Lori PloutzSnyder presented a
Virginia Wotring reviewed a manulecture for a Universcript for Neuropharmacology.
sity of Houston
Patrice Yarbough presented a talk
Space Life Sciences
entitled “Answering the Call: Career
course, which inStrategies for 21st Century Scienvolved preparing
Lori
Ploutz-Snyder,
PhD
tists” to graduate students and postand delivering a 3
hr lecture, homework assignment doc fellows in the
Christian also wrote a Field
Baylor College of
(short paper) and grading of paNotes article entitled “Antarctic
Medicine NIH Iniper. Lori also advises two PhD
Rescue,” which was published in
tiative for Maximizstudents, Kyle Hackney and
the March/April Issue of Outpost
ing Student DiverMeghan Everett.
Magazine (pp. 16-18).
sity (ISMD) ProJessica Scott provided lab tours
Zarana Patel mentored the Regram. She also pre- Patrice Yarbough, PhD
for two exercise physiology job
duced Gravity Education Flight
sented a talk and
applicants. Jess also mentored 12
Program / Systems Engineering
Q&A session with middle school
High School Aerospace Scholar
Educational Discovery (SEED)
students at Aldine Middle School’s
students for their week-long proproject “Microgravity Apparatus
Career Day, and served as a panelist,
ject
“Living
on
Mars”.
for 3-D Cell Culture”. The team of
“Extreme Jobs: Preparing for a CaYale students successfully reasreer in Science, Before, During, and
sembled the test equipment,
After Princeton,” hosted by Women
passed Test Readiness Review,
in Science at Princeton Focus Group
and was cleared for flights on
and Office of Academic Affairs and
April 15 and 16. Half the team
Diversity, Princeton University.
flew on April 15, followed by a
Susi Zanello advises Texas A&M
debrief of problems that had ocUniversity summer student Kevin
Jessica Scott, PhD, and her High School Aerospace
curred and how they could be adScholars team
Shimkus.
dressed for the second flight. The
Sara Zwart reviewed a proposal for
second half of the team, including Marguerite Sognier presented a
NASA’s Experimental Program to
Zarana, flew on April 16. Both
four hour-workshop to Greater
Stimulate Competitive Research
flights were successful and the
Galveston County teachers and
(EPSCoR) through NSPIRES, a proteam was able to
the NSTA Online Learning Cenposal for Florida International Unievaluate the function- ter.
versity’s MBRS SCORE program,
ality of the equipChris Westby mentors NSBRI
and a manuscript for Immunological
ment. Zarana also
Summer Student Intern Carlos
Investigations. Sara also led a tour
mentored a National
Ramos, a first year medical stuof the Nutritional Biochemistry Lab
Community College
dent at UTMB, who will study
for the Space X team.
Zarana Patel, PhD Aerospace Scholars
race related differences in lower
Page 9
A Day of Celebration at JSC
On June 10, 2010, Building 37 at
Johnson Space Center celebrated
its proud history as the Lunar
Receiving Laboratory during the
Apollo missions. Under the leadership of DSLS Senior Scientist
Larry Kuznetz, PhD, former
astronauts and support team
members joined together in a
dedication ceremony. In attendance, among many others, were
Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and
Harrison Schmitt.
Neil Armstrong remembers Building 37 as the Lunar
Receiving Lab.
Several plaques were unveiled
throughout the building, commemorating special events that
had taken place in this facility.
Building 37 had served as the
quarantine sleeping quarters for
the Apollo 11 crew and for the
returning astronauts of the
Apollo 12 and 14 missions.
There was even a crew lounge
and dining area.
The result of 14 EVAs by 12
different astronauts from six
Apollo missions, all geological
materials like rocks, soil samples, and cores returned from
the Moon were received in
Building 37 too.
personnel during Apollo 11, 12 and
14. The crew conducted debriefings, interviews and visits with
NASA officials, media and family
inside this room which was sealed
and kept at a lower pressure than
Conference Room 2, reserved for
non-quarantined personnel.
Harrison Schmitt unveils one of the commemorative
The samples arrived in vacuumsealed containers and were moved
to a specially constructed highvacuum chamber or to cabinets
filled with dry nitrogen. During the
biological containment period for
three weeks after departing the lunar surface, portions of the samples
were distributed to specialized laboratories behind the biological barrier wall to be examined by scientists and technicians from JSC
(then the
Manned Spacecraft Center or
MSC) and from
around the
world.
Even the command module (CM)
of Apollo 11 received its postmission processing in what is
Building 37 today. The crew named
CM-107 “Columbia”, honoring earlier sailing vessels of the same
name. Twelve years later, the CM
was itself honored by becoming the
namesake of Space Shuttle Columbia, the first orbiter to fly in 1981,
entering space 28 times before being lost during re-entry in 2003.
See the following page for the
photo montage that was sent to all
attendees (with Neil Armstrong’s
gracious approval). Then be sure to
walk through Building 37 some
time to examine the commemorative plaques - and to remember the
pioneers of human space flight.
Today’s Conference Room 1
served as the
primary contact
Larry Kuznetz greets the guests.
point between
crewmembers and non-quarantined
The DSLS Newsletter is published on a bi-monthly basis.
Dagmar Morgan—Editor
Photos of the Lunar Receiving Lab Dedication Ceremony
Courtesy of Dr. Larry Kuznetz.
Division of Space Life Sciences
Universities Space Research Association
3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058
U N I V E R S I T I E S
S P A C E
R E S E A R C H
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin cutting the cake.
A S S O C I A T I O N
DSLS Newsletter
JULY 2010
Page 10