News Release - November 19, 2013

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CONTACT:      Jennifer Forbes
                       Communications & Public Affairs
                       732-235-6356, jenn.forbes@umdnj.edu

 

NASA Physician Astronaut Serena Auñón to Speak on Aerospace Medicine and the Future of Human Spaceflight at


Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Serena Aunon NASA Physician Astronaut

New Brunswick, NJ -- The lack of gravity in space results in unique effects on astronauts’ bodies, which may differ between short-term and long-term space travel.  In addition to obvious effects such as motion sickness, space travel affects the cardiovascular system, results in loss of muscle mass and bone loss, and has psychosocial implications. Physician Astronaut and Scientist Serena Auñón, MD, MPH, will discuss her hands-on experience with these changes, as well as the future of the U.S. program in space exploration during two special lectures at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey on Thursday, November 21.

Board-certified in internal and aerospace medicine, Dr. Auñón reviews medical issues that affect the Astronaut Corps for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  She also reviews medical requirements for the new and upcoming crew vehicles.

The environmental aspects of aerospace medicine also will be presented during the lectures, including research in which Auñón has collaborated with scientists at the Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, which is sponsoring the talks. Jeffrey Laskin, PhD, Howard Kipen, MD and Paul Lioy, PhD, experts in toxicology, occupational medicine and exposure assessment, respectively, and professors of environmental and occupational medicine at the medical school; Debra Laskin, PhD, a professor in pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers Ernst Mario School of Pharmacy; and Diane Heck, PhD, a professor in environmental science at New York Medical College, have worked together with Auñón on issues in astronaut health on the space station. 

Auñón earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from The George Washington University and her medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.  She completed residencies in internal medicine and aerospace medicine at University of Texas Medical Branch, where she also earned a master’s in public health.  Auñón was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class.  She has served in the International Space Station Operations Branch to handle medical issues in support of the International Space Station (ISS). Auñón is currently training for a future flight on the ISS.

On Thursday, November 21, Auñón will present a special Grand Rounds lecture at 10:30 am, in the auditorium of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick and will then speak at 3 pm, in the Main Auditorium at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway.

 

About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey's premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including The Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.rutgers.edu. Find us online at facebook.com/RWJMedicalSchool and twitter.com/RWJMS.

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