Space medicine is a field in space science that focuses on improving procedures, diagnoses, and technology in the medical field, that can have major benefits for helping provide more accessible medical care to remote communities. Understanding how space medicine can be applied to the medical fields does require a perspective from both the medicine and space industry. To begin scratching the surface on this show, I speak with 3rd medical student Eleonor Frost; space medicine researcher and advocate for brining awareness on the benefits space medicine research has on the medical field.

Guest Bio

Eleonor Frost is a 3rd year graduate Medical student at Aberdeen university in Scotland. She is a graduate of UCL with an honours degree in Physics and Medical Physics. Eleonor works on the AMSRO Women in Aerospace Medicine group as social media coordinator and is the founder of the European Society of Extreme Environment Medicine.

Her experience in Space Medicine started with teaching and mentoring by Dr Kevin Fong on UCL’s Space Medicine and Extreme Environment Physiology course. Alongside this, her thesis researching the “Feasibility and Design of a Microgravity Surgical Workstation” has won a UK wide competition and gold medal at the international IAC in Washington DC. Before the pandemic, she was working as a research assistant at ISSET developing microbiology experiments designed by school students, which launched to the ISS in spring 2019. She is also the lead for two research groups: the SGAC SMLS working group researching how to study ICP changes in microgravity and the ‘Paraboladies’ defining pre-flight medical checks for suborbital spaceflight. As an avid STEM Ambassador, she has enjoyed going into the science museum and schools across London and Scotland to talk about space exploration to over 200 students. 

If you would like to learn more about Eleonor’s work, you can connect with her on LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter @Astrosurgery.

For those interested in learning more about the space sector and space medicine, our guest Eleonor Frost has these recommendations and sources: 

AsMA (Aerospace Medical Association)

 - Aerospace Medicine Students & Residents Organization

 - Womxn in Aerospace Medicine

BUSEMA (British Undergraduate Space & Extreme Medicine Association)

UK Space LABS (Life & Biological Sciences)

Royal Aeronautical Society

 - NGAM (Next Generation Aerospace Medicine)

SGAC (Space Generation Advisory Council)

 - SMLS (Space Medicine Life Sciences) interest group

UKSEDS (UK Students for the Exploration & Development of Space)

The Physiological Society 

Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)

The Mars Society

You can check out this intro to space medicine YouTube series

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=JkuzwJfqX_M

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aYEim6Y1_Ug&feature=youtu.be

Health in Space series: Space Surgery

https://youtu.be/CdsLVVcDyaM

If you would like to learn more about the show you can email us at thediariesofspaceexplorers@gmail.com.

Follow the Diaries of Space Explorers on Instagram @diariesofspaceexplorers, Twitter @DiariesofSpace, and Facebook Diaries of Space Explorers.

Host and creator: Gavin Tolometti

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com