University of Lethbridge researchers join project aimed at studying effects of spaceflight
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LETHBRIDGE, AB – Researchers at the University of Lethbridge are conducting a study to look into the long-term effects of spaceflight.
The project includes Dr. Gerlinde Metz from the University of Lethbridge’s Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) and Tony Montina from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, who are the only Canadian researchers in the group headed by Dr. Afshin Beheshti, a scientist from the University of Pittsburgh.
The Human Adaptation to Spaceflight study will look at a massive amount of data collected over 12 years on the International Space Station involving more than 70 astronauts. They will look into health impacts including bone loss, cardiovascular disease, renal issues such as kidney stones, disruption of circadian rhythms, potential cancer risks and eye disorders.
Metz said, “This groundbreaking work has the potential to significantly advance the understanding of the biological pathways that determine health outcomes associated with human spaceflight. Considering the enormous physical and physiological strain induced on the human body by spaceflight, this research is both timely and necessary as societies prepare for longer periods of space travel.”
