STAR-3 (2022-2023) Course Participants
![Portrait photo of a man with dark hair and dark facial hair wearing a white Adidas sweater; blurred trees are in the background](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/santhosh-arul1.png?w=4096&format=png)
Santhosh Arul, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Mayo Clinic.
Neurovascular bioengineering.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long brown hair and earrings.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/manuela-buonanno.png?w=4096&format=png)
Manuela Buonanno, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Columbia University.
Space radiation.
![Portrait photo of a dark skinned smiling woman with braided hair, eye glasses and a flannel shirt; trees and a roofline are in the background.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/katrina-carter.png?w=4096&format=png)
Katrina Carter, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Oregon.
Exercise physiology and cardiovascular biology.
![Portrait photo of a man with short brown hair and eye glasses wearing a suit vest over a patterned shirt; several colorful satellite images are on the wall behind him.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/hugo-castillo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Hugo Castillo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Space microbiology.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long red-brown hair wearing a white coat and earrings, blurred trees are in the background](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/lauren-cornell.png?w=4096&format=png)
Lauren Cornell, Ph.D., M.S.
Research Scientist, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland Air Force Base.
Military biomedicine.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with short brown hair wearing a grey suit jacket over a red plaid shirt](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/val-fajardo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Val Fajardo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Brock University, Canada.
Muscle biology.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with short brown hair, wearing a dark shirt and necklace in front of a yellow backdrop.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/melanie-ferlazzo.png?w=4096&format=png)
Melanie Ferlazzo, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Australia.
Molecular and cellular radiobiology.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing earrings, a necklace and a dark grey suit jacket.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sylvana-hassanieh.png?w=4096&format=png)
Sylvana Hassanieh, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Astra Zeneca, United Kingdom.
Cancer genomics and bioinformatics.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with brown hair pulled back, wearing a dark top and in front of a light blue backdrop](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/christina-johnson.png?w=4096&format=png)
Christina Johnson, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, NASA Kennedy Space Center.
Microgravity effects on plants.
![Portrait photo of a young man with short wavy brown hair wearing glasses and a light red white-striped shirt standing in a lab with shelves behind him](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jangkeun-kim.png?w=4096&format=png)
JangKeun Kim, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Weill Cornell Medicine.
Multi-omics and genetic engineering.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long dark hair](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sally-kim.png?w=4096&format=png)
Sally Kim, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Amherst College.
Zinc functions in mitochondria.
![Portrait photo of a smiling young man with short brown hair and wearing a medium grey suit](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ryan-koppes.png?w=4096&format=png)
Ryan Koppes, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Northeastern University.
Microphysiological organ-on-a-chip platforms.
![Portrait photo of a young man with short wavy brown hair and eyeglasses sitting at a laptop with his hand covering his mouth](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/rafael-loureiro.png?w=4096&format=png)
Rafael Loureiro, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina.
Plant responses to environmental stressors.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with wavy brown hair and eyeglasses wearing a blue checkered shirt with blurred shelves in the background](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/devon-lundine.png?w=4096&format=png)
Devon Lundine, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
DNA replication and repair.
![Portrait photo of a young man with short dark hair and facial stubble wearing a red and white striped shirt and standing in a hallway with natural light beaming in](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/pedro-madrigal.png?w=4096&format=png)
Pedro Madrigal, Ph.D.
Senior Bioinformatician, European Bioinformatics Institute - European Molecular Biology Laboratory, United Kingdom.
Bioinformatics and space 'omics.
![Portrait photo of a young smiling woman with long dark hair pulled back and eyeglasses; the backdrop is red and colorful](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/nozomi-nishimura.png?w=4096&format=png)
Nozomi Nishimura, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Cornell University.
In vivo imaging for neurodegeneration and cerebral fluid flow.
![Portrait photo of a smiling woman with long dark blonde hair and wearing a dark blazer](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/janice-pluth.png?w=4096&format=png)
Janice Pluth, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Radiation carcinogenesis.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with short dark hair, wearing a dark grey suit jacket, a light grey shirt and a grey tie](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/davide-povero.png?w=4096&format=png)
Davide Povero, Ph.D., M.S.
Assistant Professor, Mayo Clinic.
Lipid metabolism and liver cancer.
![Portrait photo of a smiling young woman with purple died hair, eye glasses and wearing a white lab coat standing in an office](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/erika-reece.png?w=4096&format=png)
Erika Reece, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Lousiana State University Health, Shreveport.
Genomic engineering for radioprotection.
![Portrait photo of a man with dark short hair wearing a light blue and white striped shirt](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/uypal-roy.png?w=4096&format=png)
Upal Roy, Ph.D.<
Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Neuroimmunology and neurotherapeutics
![Black and white portrait photo of a smiling woman with grey hair and eye glasses and sitting in a car](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/shannon-rupert.png?w=4096&format=png)
Shannon Rupert, Ph.D.
Director, Mars Desert Research Station.
Space science education and analog missions.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with short brown hair wearing a light green sweatshirt standing in front of a green leafy shrub and holding a large mushroom](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/benjamin-sikes.png?w=4096&format=png)
Benjamin Sikes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Kansas.
Space fungal ecology.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with short brown hair wearing a bright blue button down shirt](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/eric-tuday.png?w=4096&format=png)
Eric Tuday, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Utah.
Cardiovascular health.
![Portrait photo of a smiling man with short dark brown hair and a light green and white striped button down shirt standing in front of shelves in a lab stocked with supplies](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/michael-wiggs.png?w=4096&format=png)
Michael Wiggs, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Baylor University.
Exercise physiology and muscle biology.
![Portrait photo of a smiling young woman with long wavy brown hair](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/detina-zalli.png?w=4096&format=png)
Detina Zalli, Ph.D.
Director of Pre-Medical Studies, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Genomic medicine and science education.