NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER, SPACE BIOSCIENCES RESEARCH BRANCH
First Place presenter in Brain and Behavior, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Science Magazine (Vol. 375, Issue 6587)
Position: Radiation and Behavior Science, Space Life Science Training Program 2021 Cohort
Project: Changes in Cognitive Performance and Behavior Induced by Spaceflight-like Environment
Spaceflight involves exposure to multiple environmental stressors, including Ionizing Radiation (IR). In this project, I assisted in testing the hypothesis that these three spaceflight factors combine synergistically to trigger an oxidative stress response that, in turn, alters immune homeostasis, brain structure/function, and neurobehavioral/cognitive performance. Our aim was to understand sex-specific molecular changes in the nervous system caused due to simulated galactic cosmic radiation (5-ion GCR) alone or in combination with simulated microgravity across different time points. Our overarching goal was to improve the understanding of CNS risks associated with long-duration spaceflight. This project aims to address NASA’s efforts to characterize risks and identify appropriate countermeasures in both women and men in anticipation of future deep space missions.
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https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/5/1214
Galactic Cosmic Irradiation Alters Acute and Delayed Species-Typical Behavior in Male and Female Mice
by Stephanie Puukila†, Olivia Siu†, Linda Rubinstein, Candice G. T. Tahimic, Moniece Lowe, Steffy Tabares Ruiz, Ivan Korostenskij, Maya Semel, Janani Iyer, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Yasaman Shirazi-Fard, Joshua S. Alwood , Amber M. Paul, and April E. Ronca
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Siu O, Puukila S, Rubinstein L, Tahimic C.G., Lowe M, Korosteskij I, Semel M, Iyer J, Mhatre S.D., Shirazi-Fard Y., Alwood J.S., Paul A.M., and Ronca A.E., EFFECTS OF DOSE DEPENDENT 5-ION GCR SIMULATION ON MALE AND FEMALE MOUSE BEHAVIOR, NASA Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop abstract presentation, 2022
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The American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR), founded in 1984 is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that represents the areas of biological and physical sciences and focuses on the understanding of responses of biological and physical systems to variable gravity conditions. The ASGSR provides a forum to foster research, education, and professional development in the multidisciplinary fields of gravitational life and physical science research. ASGSR brings together a diverse group of scientists and engineers to encourage an exchange of ideas bridging basic and applied biological and physical sciences research and technology in space and on the ground. The organization is devoted to furthering the field of gravitational research. Our members represent academia, government, and industry interests bonded by a common issue – how living organisms and physical systems respond to gravity (e.g. low-gravity, hypergravity, etc.)
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Siu O, Puukila S, Rubinstein L, Tahimic C.G., Lowe M, Korosteskij I, Semel M, Iyer J, Mhatre S.D., Shirazi-Fard Y., Alwood J.S., Paul A.M., and Ronca A.E., The Effects of Simulated Spaceflight Radiation on Behavioral Health of Male and Female mice, American Association for the Advancement of Science, First place poster presenter for undergraduates in Brain and Behavior presentation competition, 2022 (as featured in Science)
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The average person may dream of space travel, but few people actually consider the changes that take place in the human body as a result. Olivia Siu, a Sacramentan in her junior year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, is doing just that. As a result of her studies, she’s won a prestigious scholarship to NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training Program headquartered at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Siu spoke with SN&R about her scholarship, her interest in virtual reality, and the toll air and space travel can take on the human body.
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Olivia Siu, an aerospace physiology student, will further her education with a NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program scholarship. It will allow her to participate in a ten-week program designed to train the next generation of scientists for research in the space life sciences.
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Congratulations to junior Olivia Siu for earning the prestigious NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Life Sciences Training Scholarship! #space #lifesciences #science #aerospace #spaceexploration #GoERAU #WomensHistoryMonth