NASA Highlights Space Station Research Benefits, Opportunities at San Diego Conference

[NASA News Releases <hqnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

July 07, 2016  MEDIA ADVISORY M16-081 NASA Highlights Space Station Research Benefits, Opportunities at San Diego Conference   Retired NASA astronauts, and identical twins, Mark and Scott Kelly will discuss the One-Year Mission and Twins Study with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on July 12 during the ISS R&D Conference in San Diego. Credits: NASA   Scott Kelly gives himself a flu shot during his one-year mission aboard the International Space Station. Not just a measure for good health, the vaccination also was part of NASA’s Twins Study, a series of investigations to study identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, while Scott spent a year aboard the space station and Mark remained on Earth. Credits: NASA NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists will be joined by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, retired astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, and other special guests, for a three-day, in-depth conversation about the International Space Station (ISS) as a catalyst for discovery during the fifth annual ISS Research & Development Conference July 12-14 in San Diego. The conference, hosted by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), in cooperation with NASA, brings together leaders from industry, academia and government. Attendees will explore innovations and breakthroughs in microgravity research, life sciences, materials development, technology development, human health and remote sensing, the potential applications for space-based research, and the economic benefits of increased commercial activity in low-Earth orbit. CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will delve into NASA’s One Year Mission and Twins Study with former astronauts and twin brothers Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly. Scott Kelly’s flight surgeon, Dr. Stevan Gilmore, and Twins Study principal investigator Dr. Andrew Feinberg also will provide insights into the valuable research. NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan and Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, will discuss the future of digital medicine and the role of space science in genomics studies. Other guest speakers include NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Josh Cassada; Julie Robinson, NASA’s chief scientist for the International Space Station; Kirk Shireman, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program Office; Joel Montalbano, NASA’s deputy manager of ISS utilization; Salvatore T. “Tory” Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance; Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR, LLC; Greg Johnson, president and executive director of CASIS; Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation; John Elbon, vice president, Boeing; and Robert Bigelow, president of Bigelow Aerospace. NASA and CASIS, both which manage and fund research on the space station, will provide overviews of research applications, external and internal capabilities, and upcoming opportunities. During the July 11 preconference day, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will host a joint workshop covering the achievements and opportunities tied to cooperative use of unique JAXA experiment hardware for joint research. NASA’s Driven to Explore exhibit will be open to the public July 11 - 14 outside the conference at the Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle North in San Diego. The exhibit will be open at the following times: July 11 -- Noon to 5 p.m. PDT July 12 -- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 13 -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 14 -- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Media interested in interviewing NASA personnel should contact Hayley Fick at 281-483-5111 or hayley.m.fick@xxxxxxxx. Watch the conference live stream at: http://www.issconference.org For more information about the International Space Station and research aboard the orbiting laboratory, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station -end- NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail message with the subject line subscribe to hqnews-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe from the list, send an e-mail message with the subject line unsubscribe to hqnews-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.