The Lerner Research Institute Notations - Cleveland Clinic Lerner ...

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERINGCenter for Space MedicineVenture opens horizons to leadership role in space health sciencesIn January 2004, the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) underwent a sea change in outlook,goals and procedures as the agencyreoriented to plan to reach the moon andMars.By October, two creative minds at theCleveland Clinic Foundation — PeterCavanagh, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Med.), Chair,Biomedical Engineering, and JamesThomas, M.D., Cardiovascular Imaging— took a leap of imagination to create theCenter for Space Medicine. The Centerpromises to yield a wealth of medical andscientific data, generate knowledgethrough educational forums and openopportunities for industrial and intellectualproperty ventures that could take theClinic into a high-profile leadership role inspace health sciences.On October 21, against the backdropof the official opening of an art exhibittitled “The Art of Science for Space” in theH Building lobby, the Clinic announcedthe establishment of the Center. It providesa new focal point for biomedical collaborationsinvolving NASA Glenn ResearchCenter (GRC) and the Clinic's medical andscientific investigators. Located in TheLerner Research Institute, it is co-directedby Drs. Cavanagh and Thomas. TheCenter provides a hub for space-relatedmedical research and gives researchersaccess to the network of more than 2,000Clinic physicians and scientists.The goal of the Center is to contributeto the solution of medical problems experiencedby humans during space flight.Many biological systems are adverselyaffected. Some problems, such as spacemotion sickness, usually resolve after afew days in space; others, such as boneloss, cardiovascularalterationsand therisk of injurydue to radiationexposure,continue forthe duration ofthe missionand may haveimplications inthe post-flightperiod.A thirdgroup of risks,including lossof consciousnessdue tolow bloodNASA Astronaut and Cleveland-area native Don Thomas visited AveryHoover, a patient at The Children's Hospital, as part of the opening of theCenter for Space Medicine. Biomedical Engineering arranged the visit bythe four-time Space Shuttle mission specialist with patients at the hospital.pressure,occur duringre-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Ifhuman beings are to sustain a prolongedpresence in space, solutions to these andother medical problems resulting fromspace flight must be found.Like space exploration itself, theCenter holds great potential and functionsas a conduit for internal and external collaborations,as well as a nexus for industry-fundedresearch and development, providingfertile ground for the patent andlicensing opportunities that attend suchstudies. Many novel collaborations can berealized from the use of funding that theCenter receives, including grants andinfrastructure supported by the GRC, theNational Institutes of Health (NIH),monies competitively awarded fromNASA, the National Space BiomedicalResearch Institute (NSBRI), and privatefunding from the philanthropic and venturecapital arenas.Opportunities for teaching, for bothprofessionals and the lay public, are many.Among the initiatives in the early planningstages are invited lectures and symposia onspace-related health complications, includingthose of the cardiovascular andbone/muscle systems. Extending the ongoingresearch studies to young professionalscoming up in the medical and scientificpipelines, plans include eventual fellowshipsand graduate student mentoring programs.Under the aegis of the Center, professionalsmay be able to spend time withinthe Clinic's clinical and research departmentsto learn or teach new techniques andwork side by side with Clinic colleagues.The Center is constructing a Web site andlater may establish such technologicalinnovations as telemedicine capability forarea school systems.The technology-in-space possibilities12 Notations · Winter 2005 The Lerner Research Institute