Bioastronautics and Human Performance

Rich Whittle

Rich Whittle is a Ph.D. Student in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. His research interests focus on understanding and characterizing physiological changes in altered gravity environments, in particular long duration changes on the cardiovascular system during spaceflight.

Rich received an M.Sc. in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University, where he was the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize Winner, an M.A. and M.Eng. from the University of Cambridge, and is completing a distance learning M.B.A. from the University of Northampton (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 Defense 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

LINK.  Last updated December 17, 2019.

Education

  • Current: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA
  • 2017: Space Studies Program, International Space University, France
  • 2017: Post Graduate Diploma (P.G.Dip.) – Strategic Management and Leadership, Stratford Business School, UK
  • 2017: Master of Science (M.Sc.) – Astronautics and Space Engineering, Cranfield University, UK
  • 2016: Associates Degree – Management, Chartered Management Institute, UK
  • 2015: Royal Engineers Commanders’ Course, Royal School of Military Engineering, UK
  • 2015: Associates Degree – Leadership, Institute of Leadership & Management, UK
  • 2014: Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2013: Commissioning Course, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK
  • 2011: Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) – Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK

Awards

  • 2020: Aerospace Engineering Graduate Excellence Fellowship Award, Texas A&M University
  • 2019: Best poster, Paving the Road to Living in Space – Asgardia’s First Science and Investment Congress
  • 2019: Aerospace Engineering Travel Grant Award, Texas A&M University
  • 2019: Elected Fellow, The British Interplanetary Society
  • 2017: The Vice Chancellor’s Prize, Cranfield University
  • 2017: VEGA Space Systems Engineering Prize, Cranfield University
  • 2015: The Institution of Royal Engineers Medal, Royal School of Military Engineering
  • 2013: The Queen’s Medal, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
  • 2013: The Anson Memorial Prize, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
  • 2012: Operational Service Medal, British Army
  • 2009: Academic Scholarship, University of Cambridge
  • 2008: Academic Exhibition, University of Cambridge
  • 2007: British Army Bursary, University of Cambridge

Experience

  • September 2018 – Present: Research Assistant, Bioastronautics and Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • September 2017 – June 2018: Project Manager, Turner & Townsend Infrastructure
  • April 2015 – Present: Officer, The Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army
  • August 2010 – April 2015: Officer, The Parachute Regiment, British Army

Publications

Journal Papers
  1. R. S. Whittle and A. Diaz-Artiles. Modeling individual differences in cardiovascular response to gravitational stress using a sensitivity analysis. Manuscript submitted for publication, 2020.
  2. R. S. Whittle and A. Diaz-Artiles. An ecological study of socioeconomic predictors in detection of COVID-19 cases across neighborhoods in New York City. BMC Medicine (in press), 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01731-6.
    MedRXiv preprint: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.17.20069823.
  3. R. S. Whittle. Distance travelled by military recruits during basic training is a significant risk factor for lower limb overuse injury [published online ahead of print June 2, 2020]. BMJ Military Health , 2020. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001445.
Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers
  1. R. S. Whittle and A. Diaz-Artiles. Metabolic Modeling in Altered Gravity. In: IEEE Aerospace Conference, March, 2020.
  2. P. Dutta, O. Balcells-Quintana, A. Viros, R. Whittle, P. K. Josan, N. Beebe, B. Dunbar, R. K. W. Wong, A. Diaz-Artiles, and D. Selva. Virtual Assistant for Anomaly Treatment in Long Duration Exploration Missions. In: AIAA SciTech Forum, January, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-2255.
  3. R. S. Whittle, P. D. Hodkinson, B. Posselt, and D. C. Cullen. Lunar EVA Emergency Pressurization (LEEP) Shelter: Concept Design Using a Systems Engineering Approach. In: Proceedings of the 48th Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), July, 2018. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/handle/2346/74048.
Conference Proceedings
  1. T. Amorim, C. Baoxin, F. Carbognani, B. Chan, T. Colin, A. A. De Biasi, E. Elhacham, A. Dominique Farias, S. Franklin, M. Kaufmann, N. Koren, M. Lali, E. S. Li , B. Liu, Sumesh M. A., T. J. D. Mould, S. O’Neill, L. Pfeiffer, S. Ponnumuthu, X. She, D. Sola, K. Staats, M. Valencia Arroyo, R. S. Whittle, L. Xing, J. Yu, T. Yuan, X. Zhang, J. Pellegrino, and R. Gevargiz. The Future of Internet of Things and Their Applicability to Space and Energy. In: 68th International Astronautical Congress, September, 2017. International Astronautical Federation LINK. Full Text.
Conference Talks
  1. R. S. Whittle, P. D. Hodkinson, and D. C. Cullen. A Systems Based Approach to Design the Lunar EVA Emergency Pressurization (LEEP) Shelter. In: Aerospace Medical Association 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, Dallas TX, 6-10 May, 2018. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 89(3) p.288.
  2. R. A. Anderton, B. Posselt, M. Komorowski, R. S. Whittle, K. Fong, and P. D. Hodkinson. Medical Challenges and Considerations for a Short Duration Lunar Exploration Mission. In: Aerospace Medical Association 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, Dallas TX, 6-10 May, 2018. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 89(3) p.192.
  3. B. Posselt, R. A. Anderton, M. Komorowski, B. Healey, T. G. Smith, R. S. Whittle, K. Fong, and P. D. Hodkinson. Medical Challenges and Considerations for an Established Lunar Base. In: Aerospace Medical Association 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, Dallas TX, 6-10 May, 2018. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 89(3) p.192.
  4. R. S. Whittle. Mars EVA Emergency Pressurization (MEEP) Shelter. In: Mars in the Age of New Space Launchers Symposium, London, UK, 28 February-1 March, 2018. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.34623.25768.
  5. R. S. Whittle, P. D. Hodkinson, B. Posselt, and D. C. Cullen. Engineering and Medicine: Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Space. In: UK Space Conference 2017, Manchester, UK, 30 May-1 June, 2017. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19523.76328.
Posters
  1. R. S. Whittle and A. Diaz-Artiles. A Multidisciplinary Approach to Characterizing the Long Duration Impact of Hypogravity Exposure on the Cardiovascular System. Abstract accepted. In: 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 27-30, 2020. Poster.
  2. N. Keller, R. S. Whittle, N. McHenry, S. Bhattacharya, C. Duncan, E. Koock, L. Ploutz-Snyder, G. De la Torre, M. Sheffield-Moore, G. Chamitoff, and A. Diaz-Artiles. Augmenting Exercise Protocols with Interactive Virtual Reality Environments. Abstract accepted. In: 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 27-30, 2020. Poster.
  3. P. K. Josan, P. Dutta, A. Viros, N. Beebe, O. Balcells, M. McCarthy, R. S. Whittle, B. J. Dunbar, D. Selva, R. K. W. Wong, and A. Diaz-Artiles. Front-end Development and Experimental Design for a Virtual Assistant in Long Duration Exploration Missions. Abstract accepted. In: 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 27-30, 2020. Poster.
  4. D. Selva, A. Diaz-Artiles, B. J. Dunbar, R. K. W. Wong, P. Dutta, A. Viros Martin, N. Beebe, O. Balcells Quintana, M. McCarthy, P. K. Josan, and R. S. Whittle. Virtual Assistant for Anomaly Treatment During Long Duration Exploration Missions. Abstract accepted. In: 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 27-30, 2020. Poster.
  5. J. Lee, R. S. Whittle, A. Diaz-Artiles, J. Sieker, J. C. G. Petersen, and L. G. Petersen. Gravitational Effects on Ocular Perfusion Pressure. Abstract accepted. In: 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 27-30, 2020. Poster.
  6. R. S. Whittle and A. Diaz-Artiles. Understanding Cardiovascular Changes on Long Duration Spaceflight. In: Paving the Road to Living in Space, Asgardia’s First Science and Investment Congress, Darmstadt, Germany, October 14-16, 2019. Poster. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11969.71525
  7. R. S. Whittle, D. A. Alonso, and A. Diaz Artiles. Individual Differences in Cardiovascular Responses to Orthostatic Stress. In: 2019 NASA Human Research Program Investigators Workshop, Galveston TX, January 22-25, 2019. Poster. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21201.48486
Theses and Reports
  1. R. S. Whittle. Lunar EVA Emergency Pressurisation (LEEP) Shelter: Concept Design Using a Systems Engineering Approach. Cranfield University, UK, 2017. M.Sc. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12812.87683.
  2. T. Amorim, C. Baoxin, F. Carbognani, B. Chan, T. Colin, A. A. De Biasi, E. Elhacham, A. Dominique Farias, S. Franklin, M. Kaufmann, N. Koren, M. Lali, E. S. Li , B. Liu, Sumesh M. A., T. J. D. Mould, S. O’Neill, L. Pfeiffer, S. Ponnumuthu, X. She, D. Sola, K. Staats, M. Valencia Arroyo, R. S. Whittle, L. Xing, J. Yu, T. Yuan, X. Zhang, J. Pellegrino, and R. Gevargiz. NetSpace –  The Internet of Things and Future Applications for Energy and Space. International Space University, France, 2017. Technical Report. International Space University LINK.
  3. R. S. Whittle. Deep Space Habitat: Construction and Operations. Cranfield University, UK, 2017. Technical Report. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29590.09282.
  4. R. S. Whittle. A Study into the Mileage Covered by PARA Coy Recruits During Weeks 1-20 of CIC(PARA).  School of Infantry, British Army, UK. Technical Report. Full Text Unavailable.
  5. R. S. Whittle. Computer Aided Design of Mixed-Signal CMOS VLSI Circuit. University of Cambridge, UK, 2011. M.Eng. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27908.07049.

Articles

Links

ORCID: 0000-0002-7437-5433
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