Exploring the Intersection of Space Research and Health Advancements: Insights from Four Industry Leaders

The four experts, including Dr. Chantal Darquenne of the School of Medicine and Rubins, Shirazi, and Nemiroski, participated in a panel discussion and Q&A session moderated by Kiana Aran, associate bioengineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The audience was able to learn about each expert’s journey in the industry and their earliest inspirations.

Dr. Darquenne’s fascination with space began at a young age when her father showed her the five-minute TV sequence of the first astronaut walking on the moon. This sparked a lifelong passion for outer space that led her to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering and later a doctorate in applied sciences in Belgium before moving to UC San Diego for a postdoctoral fellowship focused on studying lung function in space. This research solidified her career path, leading her to become the president of the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine and to spearhead research on topics such as lung ventilation and upper airway dynamics.

Nemiroski’s interest in space was inspired by his grandfather who designed space suits for Russia’s space program in the 1960s. From an early age, Alex knew he wanted to be a scientist, particularly interested in the interface between technology, engineering, biology and medicine. He earned a physics degree from Cornell University before pursuing further studies with a doctorate from Harvard where he initially focused on theoretical physics before shifting to biomedical applications. After successful tenure at Illumina and growing a department at a startup, Alex founded BioNexus where he advances the development of bio-tools and medical devices.

As the symposium drew to a close it was clear that the intersection of space research and health advancements holds endless possibilities with experts like Rubins, Shirazi, Darquenne and Nemiroski leading