STAR-2 (2021-2022) Course Participants
![Portrait photo of woman with long dark hair wearing a white sweater.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-allaway.png?w=4096&format=png)
Allaway, Heather. Ph.D
Louisiana State University.
Musculoskeletal and women’s health.
![star-2-ursula.png](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-ursula2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Battistuzzi, Fabia Ursula. Ph.D.
Oakland University.
Evolutionary genomics of microbial diversity.
![star-2-baxter.png](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-baxter2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Baxter, Katherine. Ph.D.
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom.
Structure and function of disease-associated multi-species biofilms.
![Portrait photo of smiling woman with long dark hair wearing a white lab coat](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-cycil.png?w=4096&format=png)
Cycil, Leena. Ph.D.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Algae utilization for bio-regenerative life support systems for space exploration.
Postdoctoral scholar.
![Portrait photo of a bald bearded man wearing glasses and standing outside](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-da-saliveira2-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Da Silveira, Willian. Ph.D.
Staffordshire University, United Kingdom.
Using systems biology and -omics to develop countermeasures against aging and spaceflight.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man wearing a white lab coat and standing in a lab.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-vaccari.png?w=4096&format=png)
De Rivero Vaccari, Juan Pablo. Ph.D., M.S.B.A.
University of Miami.
Innate immune response after brain injury and disease.
![Portrait photo of smiling woman wearing glasses and with dark curly hair](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-de-vasconcellos.png?w=4096&format=png)
Ferreira de Vasconcelos, Jaira. Ph.D.
James Madison University.
Mechanisms of bone formation, fibrosis and wound healing.
![Portrait photo of smiling woman with short curly hair wearing glasses](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-henle2-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Henle, Andrea. Ph.D.
Carthage College.
Space biology education. Zebrafish models of carcinogenesis (uveal melanoma).
![Portrait photo of smiling man wearing a white lab coat](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-hood2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Hood, Joshua. M.D., Ph.D.
University of Louisville.
Therapeutic nanomedicines and diagnostics based on extracellular vesicles.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man wearing a blue plaid shirt](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-hutson.png?w=4096&format=png)
Hutson, M. Shane. Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University.
3D tissue models of organ development and wound healing.
![Portrait photo of a dark bearded man wearing dark clothing and glasses](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-khan2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Khan, Faisal. D.Phil.
University of Engineering and Applied Sciences and CECOS-RMI Precision Medicine Lab, Pakistan.
Multi-omics and machine learning for cancer research, and synthetic biology for diagnostics development. Astrobiology education.
![Portrait photo of smiling woman and long blonde hair looking off to the side](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-koppes.png?w=4096&format=png)
Koppes, Abigail. Ph.D.
Northeastern University.
Gut-brain communication, neuromodulation, microfluidics.
![Photo of woman with long brown hair](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-de-evsikova.png?w=4096&format=png)
Marin de Evsikova, Caralina. Ph.D.
Bay Pines VA Healthcare System.
Genomic and genetic adaptation to environmental exposures in health and disease.
![Portrait photo of man with dark hair wearing a suit](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-mitra.png?w=4096&format=png)
Mitra, Kunal. Ph.D.
Florida Institute of Technology.
Bioprinted tissues for vascular dysfunction in microgravity and space radiation.
![Portrait photo of smiling man with dark hair standing in front of a concrete wall](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-nazarious2.png?w=4096&format=png)
Nazarious, Miracle. Ph.D.
University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Robotic instruments for astrobiology research and planetary exploration
![Portrait photo of smiling man wearing a wide-striped polo shirt.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-morea.png?w=4096&format=png)
Ortiz Morea, Fausto Andres. Ph.D.
Texas A&M University / University of the Amazon, Colombia.
Exogenous and endogenous signal recognition for plant growth, development and defense.
Postdoctoral scholar.
![Portrait photo of man with a bear and wearing a hoodie sweatshirt standing in front of a tree](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-pandey2-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Pandey, Siddharth. Ph.D.
Amity University Mumbai, India.
Technology development for non-recoverable biological experiments in space and sample collection on Mars surface.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with red hair and wearing a suit](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-phillips-lander-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Phillips-Lander, Charity M. Ph.D.
Southwest Research Institute.
Microbial community shifts in response to exposure to space environments
![Portrait photo of a smiling bald man wearing glasses and a light blue collared shirt under a dark blue sweate.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-porada-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Porada, Christopher. Ph.D.
Wake Forest University.
Mouse and tissue models for carcinogenesis and other biological risks of space radiation.
![Portrait photo of woman with long brown hair wearing a green shirt standing in front of a colorful science image](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-rutter.png?w=4096&format=png)
Rutter, Lindsay. Ph.D.
University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Cell-free DNA and RNA approaches in space ‘omics.
Postdoctoral scholar.
![Photo of a smiling woman with sunglasses on top of her head, wearing a red and black plaid shirt and standing in a field.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-simpson.png?w=4096&format=png)
Simpson, Anna. Ph.D.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Microbial ecology of built and natural environments.
Postdoctoral scholar.
![Portrait photo of a man with short light blonde hear wearing a light blue collared shirt and standing in an office space](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-thome.png?w=4096&format=png)
Thome, Christopher. M.Sc., Ph.D.
Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Canada.
Biological response mechanisms to low dose ionizing radiation.
![Portrait photo of a man with short dark hair and facial hair wearing glasses and a dark suit as he sits in front of a window](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-trapecar.png?w=4096&format=png)
Trapecar, Martin. Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Studying immunometabolic diseases via human multi-organ microphysiological systems.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long dark hair, glasses and wearing a salmon pink suit jacket.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-wang-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Wang, Karin. Ph.D.
Temple University.
Matrix mechanoregulation of wound repair and tumor development.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long dark hair wearing a grey-blue sweater](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-2-yadav-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Yadav, Marshleen. Ph.D.
Ohio State University.
Radiation effects and countermeasures.