ISSRDC Session to Focus on Advancing Cardiovascular Research in Low Earth Orbit

SEATTLE (WA), July 5, 2023 – A fireside chat with space station researcher Arun Sharma at the 12^th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) will highlight cardiovascular research in low Earth orbit (LEO). Historically, spaceflight studies focused on the human heart at the organ level, showing that microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. changes the heart’s overall shape, size, and function. However, research examining the effects of spaceflight on the heart at the cellular level, was more limited, and Arun Sharma, an assistant professor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, helped to change that.

While a graduate student at Stanford University, Sharma was part of a team of researchers that sent stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) to study their growth and function. Results from the investigation, published in Stem Cell Reports, provided a better understanding of spaceflight-induced changes in the human heart and laid the foundation for more complex cardiovascular studies in LEO using engineered heart tissue.

In the fireside chat, Sharma will join Stefanie Countryman, director of BioServe Technologies, an ISS National Laboratory Implementation Partner(Abbreviation: IP) Commercial companies that work with the ISS National Lab to provide services related to payload development, including the translation of ground-based science to a space-based platform., to discuss the innovative approach Sharma and his team used for their investigation.

Results from cardiovascular research in LEO could have valuable impacts on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, which claims the lives of nearly 18 million people worldwide each year. The LEO environment is beneficial for this area of research because microgravity causes changes in heart function similar to those seen in patients with cardiovascular disease on Earth, but at a quicker rate. This provides an accelerated model to study disease progression and test new drugs. Space-based studies using stem cell-derived heart cells also have important regenerative medicine applications and could lead to new therapies to replace damaged heart tissue with healthy engineered tissue.

The fireside chat, which will be held on Day 1 of ISSRDC(Abbreviation: ISSRDC) The only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the International Space Station is advancing science and technology and enabling a robust and sustainable market in LEO. This annual conference brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Lab; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society., will be moderated by ISS National Lab Chief Scientific Officer Michael Roberts. ISSRDC brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the International Space Station. ISSRDC 2023 will showcase how the space station continues to provide a valuable platform for research and technology development that benefits humanity and enables a robust and sustainable market in LEO.

The conference is hosted by the ISS National Laboratory, managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).); NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the American Astronautical Society (AAS). Additional announcements on keynote speakers and various sessions will be forthcoming.

ISSRDC will take place from July 31 to August 3, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle. To learn more about ISSRDC, including how to register, exhibit, or become a conference sponsor, please visit the conference homepage.

Download a high resolution image for this release: NASA astronaut Kate Rubins

Media Contact:       
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:  The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the space station are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.  Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

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