Rich Whittle is a Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, working in the Bioastronautics and Human Performance Laboratory under Prof. Ana Diaz Artiles. His dissertation is titled “Quantifying the effects of altered-gravity and spaceflight countermeasures on acute cardiovascular and ocular hemodynamics”. Rich’s research interests focus on understanding and characterizing physiological changes in altered-gravity environments, in particular changes on the cardiovascular system during spaceflight, the effect of countermeasures including Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) and short radius centrifugation, and the relationship to spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). He is planning to graduate in Summer 2023.
Rich received a Master of Science in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University, where he was the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize Winner, a Master of Arts and Master of Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership from Stratford Business School (all UK). He has worked as a British Army Officer since 2009 and is still a serving Captain in the British Army Reserves.
During his military career, Rich deployed on combat operations with The Parachute Regiment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and researched the causes of lower limb overuse injury in military recruits. He also served as an Operations Officer within UK Defence Intelligence (GEOINT), helped write the Royal Air Force Centre of Aviation Medicine Human Spaceflight Strategy, and was an industry project management consultant. He is a graduate of both the International Space University Space Studies Program and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Medal Winner.
Curriculum Vitae (last updated July 24, 2022)