Programme
The symposium's schedule will include in-person research sessions and panel discussions from invited speakers (listed below), and poster presentations as submitted by attendees. The symposium will start early morning on November 17, 2022, and end late afternoon on November 18, 2022. Note that all scheduled items will occur in-person at the Red & White Club (Calgary, AB, Canada).
Day one: November 17, 2022
07:30 - 08:15
REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST
08:15 - 08:50
OPENING REMARKS
Giuseppe Iaria (Chair Research, Canadian Space Health Research Network)
Edward (Ed) McCauley (President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary)
Roxanne Fournier (Chair Industry Partnership, Canadian Space Health Research Network)
Mark Pathy (Chairman and CEO Mavrik Corp and Private Astronaut, Ax-1 Space Mission)
Alyshia Guan (Chair Communications, Canadian Space Health Research Network).
09:00 - 10:30
PANEL DISCUSSION - LEADERS ON THE FRONTIER OF HEALTHCARE
Moderated by Robert (Bob) Thirsk (Former CSA astronaut, Chancellor Emeritus - University of Calgary)
Panelists:
Cornelia (Nel) Wieman (Deputy Chief Medical Officer - First Nations Health Authority, Canada),
Michael Strong (President - Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada),
Kris Lehnhardt (Element Scientist - Exploration Medical Capability, NASA Human Research Program; Associate Professor - Department of Emergency Medicine and Center for Space Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, USA).
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Remote regions of our world can be as challenging to the delivery of healthcare as deep space - expansive, austere, and isolated. Since the challenges are comparable, we can expect that medical training, protocols, and technological solutions may be similar in both settings.
Our three panelists are accomplished leaders who are pushing back the frontiers of remote healthcare - in space and on Earth. The panelists will relate how their organizations have emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, and will report on new organizational priorities. We will explore their thoughts on future medical trends, and how frontline workers can best be empowered to deliver healthcare in space and on Earth.
10:30 - 10:45
COFFEE BREAK
10:45 - 11:00
INTEGRATING AND TRANSLATING RESEARCH: "BENCH-TO-BEDSIDE" FOR ASTRONAUT HEALTH
Joan Saary (Director - Division of Occupational Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; Consultant to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Space Agency)
11:00 - 12:30
SESSION ONE - SKELETAL EFFECTS OF MICROGRAVITY
Chair: Steven Boyd (University of Calgary, Canada)
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Brent Edwards (University of Calgary, Canada)
- Spinal cord injury as a ground-based analog of bone loss in microgravity
Saija Kontulainen (University of Saskatchewan, Canada)
- Impact of inactivity and exercise on cortical bone, muscle and marrow
Leigh Gabel (University of Calgary, Canada)
- Adaptation of bone microarchitecture in long-duration space flight and recovery upon return to Earth
Guy Trudel (University of Ottawa, Canada)
- The skeleton: more than just bone tissue
12:30 - 14:00
LUNCH BREAK - POSTER SESSION & NETWORKING
14:00 - 15:15
SESSION TWO – CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IN SPACE
Chair: Richard Hughson (University of Waterloo, Canada)
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Richard Hughson (University of Waterloo, Canada)
- Astronaut cardiovascular health in Low Earth Orbit and beyond
Kevin Shoemaker (Western University, Canada)
- Head-Down bed rest modifies neuro-vascular control: Implications for forebrain and peripheral vascular contributions
Matt Rossman (University of Colorado Boulder, USA)
- Healthy lifestyle-inspired strategies for preventing or reversing cardiovascular dysfunction
15:15 - 15:45
COFFEE BREAK
15:45 - 17:00
SESSION THREE – THE EFFECTS OF SPACEFLIGHT ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Chair: Chen Wang (University of Toronto, Canada)
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Alexander Choukèr (University of Munich, Germany)
- COVID-19 translational research inspired by Space
Luchino Cohen (Canadian Space Agency, Canada)
- Progress and challenges in immune response monitoring during spaceflight
Marieke de Korte (University of Toronto, Canada)
- Effects of simulated microgravity on human natural killer cells in cultures
17:00 - 17:15
INTEGRATIVE COMMENTARY ON THE TOPICS OF THE DAY
Joan Saary (Director - Division of Occupational Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; Consultant to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Space Agency)
17:30 - 19:00
SOCIAL RECEPTION & POSTER SESSION
Registration includes social reception & drink.
Poster session is optional at this time.
Day two: November 18, 2022
07:15 - 08:00
TRAINEE BREAKFAST: PATHS IN SPACE HEALTH AND BEYOND
- "Ask Me Anything" with Bob Thirsk, Joan Saary, and Kris Lehnhardt (RSVP only)
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If you're interested in furthering your career or research path in the field of space health, or curious about how on earth to reach space, you'll be interested in hearing from these leaders.
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All registered students, trainees and postdocs will be sent an invitation to RSVP.
08:00 - 08:40
BREAKFAST & OPENING REMARKS
08:40 - 09:10
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF CANADIAN SPACE RESEARCH
Perry Johnson-Green (Canadian Space Agency, Canada)
09:15 - 10:30
SESSION FOUR - STRESS, COPING AND POST-FLIGHT EXPERIENCE CHANGES
Chairs: Phyllis Johnson and Peter Suedfeld (UBC, Canada)
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Phyllis Johnson (UBC, Canada) and Deyar Asmaro (Langara College, Canada)
- Work-Family Conflict and Support
Jaideep Bains (University of Calgary, Canada)
- Can my stress become your stress?
Peter Suedfeld (UBC, Canada) and Jelena Brcic (University of Fraser Valley, Canada)
- Stress, Coping and Post-Experience Change
10:30 - 10:45
COFFEE BREAK
10:45 - 12:15
SESSION FIVE – BRAIN AND SENSORY MECHANISMS AFFECTED BY SPACEFLIGHT
Chairs: Giuseppe Iaria (University of Calgary, Canada) and Laurence Harris (York University, Canada)
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Laurence Harris (York University, Canada)
- The effect of long-duration exposure to microgravity on the perception of self-motion and distance
Simon Duchesne (University of Laval, Canada)
- Effects of spaceflight on brain health
Ford Burles (University of Calgary, Canada)
- Spaceflight-related neuroplastic adaptations and wayfinding in astronauts
Ryan D’Arcy (HealthTech Connex, Canada)
- Brain vital signs in space
12:15 - 13:45
LUNCH BREAK - POSTER SESSION & NETWORKING
13:45 - 15:00
SESSION SIX – EFFECTS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE DURING SPACEFLIGHT
Chair: Edouard Azzam (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories)
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Edouard Azzam (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Canada)
- Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Rodents Exposed to Space Radiation
Antiño Allen (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA)
- Long Term Effect of Space Radiation on Cognition and Brain Physiology: Implications for Future Trips to Mars
Ruth Wilkins (Health Canada)
- Biologically-Based Radiation Dose Assessments for Astronauts
15:00 - 15:15
INTEGRATIVE COMMENTARY ON THE TOPICS OF THE DAY
Joan Saary (Director - Division of Occupational Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; Consultant to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Space Agency)
15:15 - 15:30
CLOSING REMARKS