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Bioastronautics and Human Performance

Texas A&M University College of Engineering

People

Faculty

Ana Diaz Artiles, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering

adartiles@tamu.edu

(979) 845-1187

Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. She leads the Bioastronautics and Human Performance Laboratory, where her research focuses on human health and performance in aerospace environments. Her goal is to create innovative solutions that protect human health in extreme environments, paving the way for sustained space exploration.

Her multidisciplinary approach bridges aerospace engineering, biomedical science, and human factors. Her specific areas of interest include human spaceflight, physiological and behavioral responses to altered-gravity environments, and human-systems interaction.

Dr. Diaz Artiles earned her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2015, where she investigated artificial gravity combined with exercise as a countermeasure to physiological deconditioning in spaceflight. Prior to MIT, she spent five years in Kourou, French Guiana, as part of the Ariane 5 launch team.

She holds a background in aeronautical engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) and SUPAERO in Toulouse (France). Dr. Diaz Artiles is a 2011 Fulbright Fellow and a 2014 Amelia Earhart Fellow. In 2022, she received the Thora Halstead Early Career Award from the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR).

Postdoctoral Students

Adrien Robin, Ph.D

Dr. Adrien Robin is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. His research focus on human space physiology, using simulated microgravity and altered gravity models. He received his M.S. in cardiovascular pathophysiology (2020) and his Ph.D. in integrative space physiology (2023) from the University of Angers (France), supported by a CNES doctoral grant. During his Ph.D., he was involved in several microgravity simulation studies (head-down bedrest and dry-immersion) with mechanical and physical exercise countermeasures.

Adrien received in 2023 a 2-year postdoctoral grant from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to study the effect of acute hypovolemia and deconditioning after bedrest on cardiovascular and ocular gravitational dose-responses curves.

Doctoral Students

Poonam Josan

Poonam Josan is a PhD student in Texas A&M’s Aerospace Engineering department. Her interests focus on space human factors, in particular human-system integration (HSI) and human performance optimization in altered gravity environments. She is also interested in understanding human and robotic interactions and using Earth-based analogs to develop related operational frameworks for integrated human-robotic planetary exploration.

Poonam received a B.Tech. in Aerospace Engineering from SRM University, India where her research focus was on improving thrust efficiency of micro-propulsion devices using aerospike nozzles. To pursue her interest in human spaceflight, she moved to the US and received a MS in Space Studies from University of North Dakota (UND). While there, she was heavily involved in student rocketry, high altitude ballooning, planetary space suits and human habitation related analog research (both as a subject and mission controller). She also served as President of UND’s Dakota Space Society which engaged the general public in STEAM related activities. Upon graduation, Poonam worked for start-ups in the Southern California aerospace industry before eventually deciding to return to academia. Her current research work at BHP utilizes NASA’s HSI standards for the experimental design and Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing of a Virtual Assistant (VA) tool developed for future long duration exploration missions.

Apart from space exploration, Poonam enjoys traveling, exploring national parks, hiking, and learning about modern history.

 

Renée Abbott

Renée Abbott is a Ph.D. student in Texas A&M’s Aerospace Engineering department. She is a 2021 NASA NSTGRO recipient, and her research will include developing and assessing the effectiveness of virtual reality technologies as tools to enhance the behavioral health of astronauts on long duration missions. Her additional work is focused on assessing physiological function in altered gravity environments via parabolic flight and short-radius centrifuge analogs. In 2020, Renée received her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with minors in mathematics and astrophysics from Texas A&M. She has also been a member of the A&M Gymnastics club since 2017 and served as the Women’s Team Captain from 2020-2021.

Rashika Rao

Rashika Rao is a doctoral student and Engineering Graduate Merit Fellow in Texas A&M’s Aerospace Engineering department. Her research interests include using analogue environments to investigate human health and performance in short- and long-duration spaceflight. She is currently working on investigating the effects of gravitational transitions on bimanual coordination task performance.

Rashika received her B.S.E. and M.Eng in Space Engineering from the University of Michigan. After graduating, she worked as a research coordinator in the University of Florida’s Neuromotor Behavior Lab, where she studied the effects of microgravity and varying gas conditions on the human glymphatic system. Outside of the lab, Rashika enjoys tennis, singing, and learning the electric bass. She is passionate about science outreach, and hopes to build on her undergraduate efforts in grad school.

Madison Herrmann

 

Madi Herrmann is a Ph.D. student in the Aerospace Engineering department. Her research interests focus on performance optimization for spaceflight, particularly investigating physiological and cognitive impacts for extravehicular activity (EVA). Madi is a Texas A&M College of Engineering Horizons fellowship recipient.

Originally from Columbus, OH, Madi received her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University. At OSU, Madi served as a project manager within the competitive rocketry team, the Buckeye Space Launch Initiative, and was heavily involved in student organizations aiming to engage students of all backgrounds in space exploration efforts. Outside of the BHP lab, Madi enjoys running, scuba diving, hiking, and any outdoor adventures.

Cort Reinarz

Cort Reinarz is a Ph.D. student in Texas A&M’s Aerospace Engineering department. His research interests involve investigating human health countermeasures in altered gravity environments through modeling and experimentation.

Cort received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. While there, he was a recipient of the Aerospace Engineering Department’s Distinguished Student Award as well as the Brad Worsham ’88 Scholarship. Outside of the classroom, he was a member of the Texas A&M Bowling Team as well as a volunteer tutor. He was also a member of both the Sigma Gamma Tau and Tau Beta Pi Honors Societies.

Masters Students

Yasmin Zaman

Yasmin Zaman is a Masters student in Aerospace Engineering researching in the Bioastronautics and Human Performance Laboratory at Texas A&M University. She is a 2022 Fulbright Scholar from Sydney, Australia. Prior to Texas A&M, Yasmin was a Space Technology Officer at the Australian Space Agency where she led the development of the Applied Space Medicine and Life Sciences roadmap, which is due to be released in 2022.

Yasmin received her Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Aerospace Engineering and her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She has previously flown drones to look for sharks for Surf Life Saving NSW, competed in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition,and worked on virtual reality at the ANU Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre. Yasmin aspires to further Australia’s space life sciences capabilities and contribute to the advancement of human space exploration.

Undergraduate Students

Huc Pentinat Llurba

Huc Pentinat Llurba is a visiting intern from Spain performing his Bachelor’s Degree Final Thesis in the Bioastronautics and Human Performance Lab at Texas A&M University. He has completed a double Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Industrial Technology Engineering in CFIS, a well-known academic excellence center associated with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. With this academic background he has developed problem resolving skills, critical thinking, an analysis and resolution ability, as well as different technology and scientific methods, theories and models. This combination of interdisciplinary knowledge gives him the aptitude to address challenges in aerospace engineering and human performance in space environments.

Apart from the academic aspects, he also stands out in the sports field, remarking his career in pole vaulting -having won the Catalan University Championship of Athletics and competing on a national level in Spain-, as well as the mastery and practice of other sports, like basketball, ski, and other disciplines of athleticism. From this aspect of his character he reaps the benefit of having a resilience attitude and a strong work ethic towards the work he makes, bringing about a forceful drive, with dedication and commitment, consistently putting in effort and attention to details. Huc enjoys living life to the fullest and the thrill of it, always open to new experiences and taking big pleasure in traveling, exploring new cultures and being outdoors, as well as being fond of art in his many expressions, especially in the form of music, photography, paintings and cinema. As it is portrayed in one of his favorite films: “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are the noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for”.

Former Students

Braeden Stewart

[Read more…] about Braeden Stewart

Logan Kluis, Ph.D.

[Read more…] about Logan Kluis, Ph.D.

Vani Vellore

[Read more…] about Vani Vellore

Nathan Keller, Ph.D.

[Read more…] about Nathan Keller, Ph.D.

Rich Whittle, Ph.D.

[Read more…] about Rich Whittle, Ph.D.

Alexis Gangeme

[Read more…] about Alexis Gangeme

Eric Hall

[Read more…] about Eric Hall

Fèlix Real Fraxedas

[Read more…] about Fèlix Real Fraxedas

Sara González De la Torre Muñoz

[Read more…] about Sara González De la Torre Muñoz

Brock Balthazor

[Read more…] about Brock Balthazor

Chase Audirsch

[Read more…] about Chase Audirsch

Leah Davis

[Read more…] about Leah Davis

Lindsay Stapleton

[Read more…] about Lindsay Stapleton

Víctor Sainz Ubide

[Read more…] about Víctor Sainz Ubide

Collette Gillaspie

[Read more…] about Collette Gillaspie

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