NASA, NSBRI Select Proposals to Support Crew Health on Missions

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Human Research Program
and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, of Houston
will fund a group of research proposals to help investigate questions about
astronaut health and performance on future space exploration missions. The 33
selected proposals represent 21 institutions in 12 states.

The goal of the Human Research Program is to provide knowledge and
technologies to improve human health during space exploration as well as
possible countermeasures for problems. Goals include the successful completion
of exploration missions and preservation of astronauts' health throughout
their lives. The program quantifies crew health and performance risks during
spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners and system
developers can use to monitor and mitigate health risks.

The 33 projects were selected from 126 proposals that were reviewed by
scientific and technical experts from academia and government laboratories.
Ten of the projects will join the Human Research Program's team of principal
investigators, while 23 will join NSBRI's team-based research program.

NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying health risks
related to long-duration spaceflight. The institute's science, technology and
education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United
States.

A complete list of the selected principal investigators, organizations and
proposals is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esmd/acd/hrp_nsbri_awards.html

For information about NSBRI's science, technology and education programs,
visit:

http://www.nsbri.org

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

Stephanie Schierholz, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-4997,
stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov, William Jeffs, Johnson Space Center, Houston,
+1-281-483-5111, william.p.jeffs@nasa.gov, both of NASA; or Kathy Major of
National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), Houston,
+1-713-798-5893, major@bcm.edu