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Last month, nearly 60 researchers gathered at the BWH Biomedical Research Institute’s (BRI) third interdisciplinary research workshop to explore research projects at BWH, BIDMC, MIT, MGH and the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary funded by or of relevance to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI).
“The general public already knows of the “Tang” and “Teflon” Earth-based benefits of NASA space-based work,” said Elizabeth Klerman, MD, PhD, of the Department of Medicine, who gave the opening remarks and presented a session on mathematical modeling of performance and alertness for space and Earth-based crew. “This workshop was designed to showcase the health and medicine lessons learned from work originally designed for space.”
At “Exploring Space Health: Benefiting Earth,” researchers heard 15-minute presentations and learned about research projects related to sleep medicine, ophthalmology, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and mental health, and the neurovestibular system, among others.
Klerman noted that she had spoken with representatives of NSBRI and NASA who were excited by the showcasing of this work and eager to hear of possible future collaborations. In addition, Julie Glowacki, PhD, of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, provided an update on future research and funding opportunities available for in-flight and ground-based research.
This workshop was part of a series of Interdisciplinary Research Workshops launched by the BRI last year to bring together researchers from multiple centers and departments and provide an opportunity for them to showcase their expertise, interest and research on particular themes.
The workshops are a forum for faculty to learn about one another’s research, connect with other investigators exploring similar research questions and discover scientific resources available to them at BWH and the extended Longwood Medical area.