Biomedical & Environmental Research Department Manager’s Choice Awards
1st Round Team Winner
The Exercise and Physiology Countermeasures (EPC) Lab successfully wrapped up data collection for the POLAR study. Their dedication was evident in the countless hours spent conducting aerobic and muscular fitness assessments, as well as overseeing the EVA task circuit. The outcomes of this study will help determine whether current NASA 3001 fitness standard thresholds are attainable and applicable to Exploration EVA task performance.
EPC Lab. From L to R: Brian Prejean, Brett Siders, Jakob Allen, Johnathan Hummel, Lori Cooper, Jennifer Tuxhorn, Dana Gardner, Elizabeth Spector, Kate Caughlin, Alyssa Varanoske, Sarah Browning, Brittany Hotaling, John Hardey, Keith Holubec.
2nd Round Team Winner
Biomedical and Environmental Research Department personnel successfully completed testing on 40 astronaut candidates (ASCANs) visiting JSC for round 2 interviews. The Anthropometry, Injury Biomechanics, and Ergonomics Laboratory (AIBEL) collected anthropometric and strength data, while the Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures Lab (EPC) performed aerobic testing. The Cardiovascular and Vision Lab (CVL) completed echocardiograms with patent foramen ovale (PFO) screenings, plus visual field testing, as personnel in the Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Laboratory supported SD3/BHP Ops’ psychological assessment activities.
AIBEL conducts measurements of ASCAN size and strength to determine if a candidate will be within vehicle and hardware design limits. If an ASCANs individual anthropometric measurements fall outside of design ranges, they may not be accommodated by space flight hardware or may need to have customized hardware that will incur additional costs to a Program. Similarly, if a candidate's strength capability is below recommended clearance values, they could have difficulty operating in a spacesuit and be unable to perform Extravehicular Activity.
Aerobic capacity, expressed as maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), is the “gold standard” for assessing cardiorespiratory and overall physical fitness, and therefore is an indicator of sustained performance ability. It is the metric used in the NASA-STD-3001 for defining aerobic fitness thresholds and is a priority metric used in assessing impacts to space flight and mission-associated human health and performance risk. EPC assessed ASCAN VO2 to accurately determine the individuals “starting state” and (if selected) track across their time in the Astronaut Corps.
The PFO screening and visual field testing were requested by Space Medicine Operations only a few weeks before the first sessions were scheduled. The CVL team worked diligently to add the PFO procedure to the CVL Master Protocol, update the Test Readiness Review, and confirm readiness with human-in-the-loop testing. All ASCAN testing/screening sessions were completed as planned with no issues.
Biomedical and Environmental Research Department.
From L to R: Liz Benson, Matthew Poczatek, Jennifer Tuxhorn, Kate Caughlin, Rebecca Cox, Lauren Hickox, Stephanie Melvin, Garima Gupta, Cambria O’Grady, Dan Nguyen, Dana Gardner, Lori Cooper, Sarah Browning, Jason Lytle, Caroline Howes, Jennyffer Smith, Keith Holubec. Not shown: Brian Prejean, David Martin, Jakob Allen, Karen Young, Lauren Landon, Monica Randall, Nate Newby, Sheena Dev, Steve Laurie, Sydney Begerowski
BHP Lab provided their expertise to complete the evaluation of applicants’ behavioral competencies during Individual and Team Exercises; supported clinical interviews that were completed by a team of psychologists and psychiatrists. Also, a BHP Lab member developed an innovative data visualization tool for BHP Ops to summarize and display the vast amount of data being collected that proved to be very helpful.
Together this team of experts supported NASA's review of ASCANs as the Agency seeks to add a new class of astronauts to support NASA future human space flight missions.
1st Round Individual Winner
Hannah Weiss
Dr. Hannah Weiss is fantastic juggling several important activities in the Neuroscience Laboratory including: Manual Piloting study lead, Head and Body Monitoring (HDM) PI, the PI for MCO new start, NRA Omnibus, and SpX proposals; and supporting SM – Sensorimotor crew testing. For Manual Piloting, she initiated data collection for the ground arm and completed her 1st crew test which required significant preparations and troubleshooting of the lunar lander hardware and software. Hannah completed 2 HQs milestones for the HDM Tech Dev effort, presented study results at the recent IEEE conference that warranted interest and praise from attendees, and supported SM – Sensorimotor Crew-9 testing. For these herculean efforts, Hannah is recognized with this manager’s choice award.
2nd Round Individual Winner
Aly Ung
Aly Ung is recognized for her outstanding contributions to data collection across several EVA & Environmental Physiology Laboratory (EEPL) studies. As EEPL’s dedicated sensor engineer on the Data and Software Solutions team, she plays a critical role in integrating, testing and maintaining sensor systems and hardware to ensure seamless data acquisition in a variety of environments. She has managed multiple responsibilities while providing essential support to the Crew State and Risk Model (CSRM), Exploration EVA Physiology Operations (EEPO), and the high-profile Axiom Task Capability Assessment (TCA) test series.
Specific to TCA, she was instrumental in troubleshooting and refining both hardware and software systems while successfully implementing a new start feature and overcoming a number of complex technical challenges, often with limited testing opportunities at ARGOS. These data are critical to understanding the new vendor suits for Artemis and will be seen and utilized by many high-level management teams and high-profile plans for successful lunar missions.
Aly’s technical expertise, problem-solving mindset, and commitment to excellence were key to the team's success. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her impact and leadership.
