Candidate for Vice-President-Elect

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Candidate for Vice-President-Elect

Jan Schuemann, PhD

Current Position:

Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology Associate Director of Physics Research

Head of the Multi-scale Monte-Carlo Modeling Lab

Department/Institution:

Department of Radiation Oncology

Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Educational Background:

• PhD, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Thesis title: Rare B meson decays with an n’ in the final state • MS, University of Hamburg, Germany, Title:

Inelas-tic J/u-Photoproduction at HERA and the Color Evaporation Model (at H1, DESY, Germany)

Professional Experience:

• Lecturer, Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology & HMS

(2019-Present)

• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, MGH & HMS (2015-2019)

• Instructor, Radiation Oncology, MGH & HMS (2012-2015)

• Research Fellow with Dr. H. Paganetti,

Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (MGH & HMS), Tool for Particle Simulations for Proton Therapy (TOPAS)(2010-2012)

• Project Researcher, Dr. M. Vagins, Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU), Tokyo University, Japan, Neutrino Physics

(2008-2010)

• Research Fellow with Dr. M. Yamauchi, The Belle Collaboration, KEK (High Energy Accelerator

Research Organization), Japan, Rare B-decays, Data Acquisition (2006-2008)

• Postdoctorate with Dr. C.-H. Wang, National United University, Taiwan, Rare B-decays (2005-2006)

Fellowships & Honors:

• Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, NY

(2019)

• Michael Fry Research Award, Radiation Research Society (2018)

• 4x Early Career Investigator Conference Award, Radiation Research Society (2016-2019)

• Fellowship from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan, and Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship from the A.V. Humboldt Foundation, Germany (2006-2008)

• Scholarship of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange), Germany (2000-2003)

• Winner of the “Jugend Forscht” (Youth Research) competition, Hamburg, Germany, Topic: Strange Planetoid Orbits in Double Star Systems (1995)

Professional Activity & Appointments:

• Radiation Research Society (2012-Present) - READI Taskforce (2021-Present)

- Co-Chair, 2nd RRS Winter Workshop Organizing Committee (2018-2020)

- Meeting Funds Taskforce (2018-Present) - Councilor of Physics, Board of the RRS (2017-2020)

- Physics Representative, Council of Early Career Investigator Interest Group (2017-Present)

- Member, Early Career Investigator Interest Group

(2016-Present)

- Member, Annual Meeting program committee (2016-2019)

- Member, RRS Finance Committee (2016-2017) • Member, American Association of Physicists in

Medicine (AAPM) (2010-Present)

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Candidate for Vice-President-Elect

Jan Schuemann, PhD Continued

• Member, German Physics Association (DPG)

(2003-2020)

Journal Editorship

• Physica Medica-Special Edition, Guest Editor

(2019-2020)

• Cancer Nanotechnology (Springer Nature), Editorial Board Member (2018-Present)

Current Interests:

From Physics to Biology: My lab studies the mechanisms behind the effects of radiation. We combine nanometer scale Monte Carlo simulations of physics interactions with resulting chemistry and biology processes to advance our understanding of radiation response from the bottom up. My vision is to develop a fully mechanistic, multi-scale radiation response model, starting from the initial cell/ DNA damage to organ effects. Such a mechanistic description has the potential to design truly optimal radiation treatments, combining standard radiation therapy with innovative treatment approaches such as (gold) nanoparticles for radiosensitization, radionuclide therapy, or FLASH therapy.

In addition to my physics core, I have started in vitro and in vivo experiments to help guide our simulation work. This began with the attempt to refute the FLASH effect and has instead grown into efforts investigating the potential and limitations of FLASH therapy and more.

My passion is experimentally guided model developments to determine the mechanisms and threshold of new therapeutic approaches with the goal to improve clinical outcome.

Vision Statement:

RRS has been my scientific family since the first annual meeting I attended. The quality of the presented work was as impressive as how simple it was to find colleagues that relate to my work, albeit from different fields. Our Society provides a unique opportunity to bring physicists, chemists, biologists, clinicians

and epidemiologists together. This culminates in our annual meeting which provides an inclusive platform for scientists from all fields to meet and mingle. I have not found any group that is as supportive, fun and welcoming as the RRS.

Last year, our first virtual annual meeting faced many challenges. The absence of in-person interactions limited the exchange of ideas and chances to collaborate and meet friends. However, the science and presentations remained excellent, and the virtual format ran more smoothly than expected. This year, the meeting will (hopefully) be offering a hybrid model with on-site and remote participation. While I strongly favor in-person participation, we should take this opportunity to keep a virtual component, offering a science and education platform even after travel bans are lifted. This would allow better accessibility to our meeting around the world.

One of the missions of the RRS is education of the general public and its members. This includes provision of an overview of the entirety of research under its umbrella, from basic sciences to translational research, from physics to biology. I will continue to uphold the Society’s tradition, and emphasize cross-disciplinary sessions at the annual meeting and winter workshops.

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Candidate for Vice-President-Elect

Jan Schuemann, PhD Continued

programs in the society to support and retain young investigators.

Despite the remarkable successes, our Society can greatly benefit by becoming more inclusive. The recently formed Radiation researchers for Equity, Accountability, Diversity, Inclusion (READI) task force is one step closer to increase diversity and bring talent to our Society. I intend to expand these efforts to foster a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our Society, independent of age, gender, race and conviction. Recruiting and retaining a diverse member body is a challenge that needs to be pursued.

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Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Carmen R. Bergom MD, PhD, MPhil

Associate Professor

Department of Radiation Oncology

Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

• BS: Biology & Chemical Engineering, MIT (1998) • MPhil: Epidemiology, University of Cambridge

(U.K.) (1999)

• MD and PhD (Cell Biology): Medical College of Wisconsin (2006 & 2008)

• Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

(2020-Present)

• Adjunct Faculty Member, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

(2020-Present)

• Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin (2019-2020)

• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

• Instructor, Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

• Residency, Radiation Oncology and Holman Research Pathway (ABR), Medical College of Wisconsin (2009-2013)

Awards & Honors:

• Churchill Scholarship (1998)

• Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (2007) • Roentgen Residency Research Award, Radiological

Society of North America (2012)

• Oral Presentation chosen for Best of ASTRO 2014

Annual Meeting (2014)

• Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting Early Career Investigator Travel Award (2016)

• Article selected for the Journal of Biological Chemistry special issue in May 2018, “Signaling

Through Time and Space”, as one of the most exciting advancements in GPCR-related research over the last 3 years (2018)

• Oral presentation chosen for Best of ASTRO 2018

Annual Meeting (2018)

• Top Doctors in America (2018-2020)

• Co-Chair, ASTRO Think Tank, “ASTRO Think Tank: Genetic Determinants in Radiation Oncology”

(2019)

• Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting Early Career Investigator Travel Award (2019)

• Radiation Research Society Michael Fry Award

(2021)

Editorships/Editorial Boards/Journal Reviews:

• Radiotherapy and Oncology (2014-Present)

• International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics (2014-Present)

• Annals of Surgical Oncology (2014-Present) • Advances in Radiation Oncology (2017-Present) • Cancer Research (2018-Present)

• Radiation Research (2018-Present)

• American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2018-Present)

• Journal of Clinical Investigation (2019-Present) • International Journal of Radiation Biology

(2019-Present)

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Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Carmen R. Bergom MD, PhD, MPhil, Continued

Leadership & Committee Positions:

• Research Grants Evaluation Committee Member, ASTRO (2012-Present)

• Science Council Member, ASTRO (2012-Present) • Admissions Committee Member, Medical Student

Training Program, Medical College of Wisconsin

(2013-2020)

• NRG Oncology Translation Breast Subcommittee, Member (2015-Present)

• ASTRO Abstract Review Committee-Biology Track

(2015-Present)

• NRG Oncology Breast Committee, Member

(2015-Present)

• Cancer Center Scientific Review Committee Member, Medical College of Wisconsin

(2016-2020)

• ASTRO Annual Meeting Radiobiology Abstract Review Committee (2016-Present)

• ASTRO Education Committee (2017-Present) • American Cancer Society Wisconsin Leadership

Board Member (2018-2020)

• Mary Kay Foundation Grant Review Committee

(2018-Present)

• Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) Research Committee Member (2018-Present)

• Radiological Society of North America Grant Review Committee (2018-Present)

• NRG Oncology Rare Breast Cancer Subcommittee, Member (2018-Present)

• NIH Early Career Reviewer (ECR), Tumor

Progression and Metastasis (TPM) Study Section

(2018)

• Radiation Research Society (RRS) Membership Committee Member (2019-Present)

• DoD Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award Review Panel (2019) • AACR Radiation Science and Medicine Working

Group Steering Committee (2019-Present)

• Vice-Chair, Research Grants Evaluation Committee Member, ASTRO (2019-Present)

• Examination Question Writer, Breast Cancer Section, American College of Radiology (ACR) In-Service Examination (TXIT) (2020-Present) • AACR Breast Cancer Research Grants Scientific

Review Committee (2020-Present)

• American Board of Radiology (ABR) Radiation Biology Committee (2020-Present)

• Washington University Breast Cancer Research Program Steering Committee (2020-Present) • Washington University Cancer Biology Graduate

Program Admission Committee (2020-Present) • NIH Special Emphasis Panel (SEP-7): NCI Clinical

and Translational Review Study Section (2020) • NIH Ad Hoc Reviewer, Radiation Tumor Biology

(RTB) Study Section (2021)

I have a background in engineering, epidemiology, and biology, and I am a radiation oncology clinician scientist at Washington Univeristy in St. Louis, where I see cancer patients one day per week and run an R01-funded research laboratory. My current research interests include utilizing pre-clinical models to better identify, prevent, and treat radiation-induced heart dysfunction. My laboratory also studies how genetic changes in the tumor microenvironment influence radiation sensitivity. Our overall goal is to improve the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy by minimizing cardiotoxicity and enhancing the anti-tumor effects of radiation. We are also exploring how changes in the heart that occur after high-dose therapeutic radiation for ventricular tachycardia can inform knowledge of cardiac changes that occur after incidental heart radiation exposure during cancer treatments. We utilize molecular biology, small-animal pre-clinical models, next generation sequencing, advanced imaging, and genetical models to answer these questions. I also have led a number radiation-focused of investigator-initiated clinical trials. My overall goal is to improve the care of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy through meaningful basic, translational, and clinical research, in addition to training the next generation of radiation scientists and radiation oncologists.

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that meeting directly impacted the future direction of my research program, which now focuses on radiation-induced cardiac dysfunctions. I was impressed by the support that RRS provided to Early Stage Investigators (ESI) and Scholars-in-Training (SIT), as well as the multidisciplinary nature of membership focused around radiation research. I came to realize that the RRS is the premier organization committed to all aspects of radiation research. I have attended every annual meeting since that time, and I became more involved in the RRS organization when I joined the Membership Committee in 2019.

ESI and SIT Support and Mentorship

Education of the next generation of radiation

researchers is immensely important to me, and I will support initiatives aims at attracting new members to our field, retaining early career investigators, and promoting diversity and inclusion. Continued opportunities for travel awards to RRS meetings, highlighting ESI/SIT research at meetings, and engagement with trainees are important to foster the careers of these members in radiation research. Grant writing workshops and other targeted content can be continued and expanded as well. RRS can also help facilitate and enhance mentorship programs which may assist earlier stage researchers in navigating current and future challenges.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

I am highly committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in my clinical practice, my research program, and in the field of radiation research. Through my work in the RRS, I will also promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. By facilitating mentorship programs, especially focused on mentorship for under-represented groups in our field, RRS can assist trainees and early-to-mid-career members and provide networking opportunities that can be critical for career development. Early recruitment of under-represented groups into the radiation field is important to develop a diverse

research workforce. Resources for training in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion for RRS members should be available through the RRS site, and content related to these initiatives should be continually

included in RRS meetings. Through my work on the Council, I will support and champion such efforts and be open to suggestions to advance these causes in additional ways.

Membership Initiatives and Programming

Due to the immense changes that have occurred in the world over the past year, now is a critical time to aim to retain and even expand our membership. The challenges many in our field have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can include research setbacks, funding changes, possible personal or family hardships, and/or work-life balance, are issues that can be the focus of RRS-related activities to enhance support of our membership through these difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how critical scientific knowledge is to guide policy and treatments, and it is important now more than ever to support the researchers in our field. As a Councilor-at-Large, I will support continued emphasis RRS outreach, both virtually and in person as safely allowed. I also highly prioritize outreach to the cancer and research communities regarding the importance of radiation therapy, radiation research funding, and knowledge of the effects of radiation exposure for not only clinical use, but also for environmental exposure, nuclear accidents/attacks, and space travel. Finally, the RRS presents a unique opportunity to bring researchers from all areas of radiation research (including physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, and epidemiology) together to build collaborations to advance the field in ways not possible by working in our own specialized areas. Continued attention to RRS multidisciplinary sessions and workshops will aid in fostering these cross-discipline collaborations. Most importantly, I will be open to concerns and suggestions from all RRS members to improve the Society now and in the future. I would be honored to serve as a Councilor-at-Large for the RRS.

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Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Isabel “Lauren” Jackson, PhD

The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology

Departments/Institutions:

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

• BS Microbiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2002-2006)

• PhD Pathology, Duke University, Durham, NC Thesis: Molecular mechanisms regulating pulmonary sensitivity to radiation (2008-2012) • Visiting Scientist, Institute of Pathology, University

of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

(2010-2011)

• Research Scholar, Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (2012-2012)

• Director, Division of Translational Radiation Sciences, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

(2020-Present)

• Associate Professor, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Balltimore, MD (2018-Present)

• Deputy Director, Division of Translational Radiation Sciences, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

(2016-2020)

• Associate Member, Univeristy of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore, MD (2016-Present) • Associate Member, Experimental Therapeutics

Program, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center Program in Oncology, Baltimore, MD (2015-Present)

• Director, Medical Countermeasure Program, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (2014-Present)

• Assistant Professor, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (2012-2018)

Fellowships & Honors:

• Young Investigators Travel Award, 15th

International Congress of Radiation Research, Kyoto, Japan (2015)

• Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to attend the 14th International Congress of Radiation Research, Warsaw, Poland

(2011)

• Scholar-In-Traning Travel Award, Annual Radiation Research Society meeting, Maui, HI (2010)

• Scholar-In-Training Travel Award, Annual Radiation Research Society meeting, Boston, MA (2008) • Scholar-In-Training Travel Award, 13th International

Congress of Radiation Research, San Francisco, CA

(2005)

• New Investigator Award, Society for Thermal Medicine (2006)

• Undergraduate Research Award, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2004)

• Member, Research Funding Development

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• Member, Animal Care and Use Program Transition Advisory Committee, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (2021-Present)

• Member, Radiation Research Society 2021 Program Committee (2020-Present)

• Member, Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee. The American Board of Radiology (2020-Present) • Member, UMB President’s COVID19 Research

Advisory Task Force, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (2020-Present)

• Member, Selection Committee, STAR-PREP Science Training for Advancing Biomedical Research

Postbaccalaureate Program (2020-Present) • Senior Editor-Biology, Advances in Radiation

Oncology (2018-Present)

• Member, University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (2015-Present)

My research interest is in normal tissue radiobiology, specifically development of medical countermeasures (MCM) for acute radiation sickness (ARS) and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE) and mitigation of normal tissue side effects in radiation therapy. Through funding from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and industry partners, my laboratory has developed small and large animal models of ARS and DEARE. My laboratory utilizes these models to better understand the

pathogenesis of radiation injury and advance new MCMs towards approval under the FDA Animal Rule regulatory pathway. In parallel, my laboratory takes a systems biology approach to elucidate mechanisms underlying radiation effects on the endothelium and its relationship to blood failure and late-normal tissue effects. Taken together, these interests have broad implications both for response to a radiological or nuclear incident and mitigation of normal tissue side effects in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

I have been fortunate to be a member of the Radiation

Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Isabel “Lauren” Jackson, PhD Continued

Research Society since attending the 2005 annual meeting in Denver, Colorado as an undergraduate student. Throughout graduate school and now as an Associate Professor, I have built many fruitful collaborations amongst Society members (usually over a beer and notes on a napkin!) that have turned into long enduring friendships.

Advancements in radiation medicine and protection are driven by a vibrant exchange of ideas and technical knowledge necessary to translate novel discoveries from bench to real-world application. If elected as Councilor-at-Large, I will seek to encourage and facilitate partnerships among academia,

industry, federal agencies, and other stakeholders necessary to improve the therapeutic ratio in cancer therapy, protect astronauts on extraplanetary space explorations, and ensure the ability fo respond to radiological and/or nuclear emergencies.

I envision this will be accomplished through strengthening the three pillars necessary to advance radiation science in the ensuing decades: 1) facilitating multidisciplinary interactions among Society members, industry, and federal agencies, 2) increasing membership and cross-fertilization with interrelated specialties through social media and direct outreach, and 3) diversifying the pipeline of radiation oncologists, biologists, and physicists.

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Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Jeffrey S. Willey, MS, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Radiation Oncology, Section of Radiation Biology, and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine

• PhD Bioengineering: Clemson University

• MS Biological Sciences Functional Anatomy: Ohio University

• Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine (2018-Present)

• Faculty, School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech/ Wake Forest University (2014-Present)

• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of

Bioengineering, Clemson University (2014-Present) • Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic

Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine

(2013-Present)

• Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine

(2013-2018)

• Instructor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine (2012-2013) • Translational Radiation Oncology (TRADONC) T-32

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Radiation Biology Focus, Wake Forest School of Medicine (2010-2012) • National Space Biomedical Research Institute

(NSBRI) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2010)

Society Memberships & Offices:

• Member, American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) (2015-Present)

• Board of Governors, American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (2018-Present) • Member, Radiation Research Society

(2005-Present)

• Early Career Investigator Working Group/

Committee; Radiation Research Society

(2016-Present)

• Education and Website Committee; Radiation Research Society (2018-Present)

• Membership Committee; Radiation Research Society (2009-2010)

• Program Committee; Radiation Research Society

(2007-2008)

• Education and Training Committee; Radiation Research Society (2007-2016)

• Chair, Scholars-In-Training Committee; Radiation Research Society (2007)

• Scholars-In-Training Committee; Radiation Research Society (2006-2009)

• Director of the “Red Risk School” for challenges to human health in space; Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) (2018-Present) • Radiation Research Society Early Career

Investigator Travel Award (2018)

• Radiobiology Subcommittee Member for the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Council Committee 2 as part of the “Where Are the Radiation Professionals (WARP)?” Statement (2017-Present)

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Candidate for Councilor-at-Large

Jeffrey S. Willey, MS, PhD, Continued

Department of Radiation Oncology (2017-Present) • Primary Investigator for the Rodent Research-9

(RR9) Spaceflight Study to the International Space Station (2016-Present)

• Course instructor, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Dept. of Cancer Biology MCB 723. Topics in Cancer Biology; Radiation Therapy, Biology, and Physics

(2015-Present)

• Primary research rotation mentor for Radiation Oncology (4 trainees) and Orthopaedic Surgery residents (3 trainees), Wake Forest School of Medicine (2015-Present)

• Interview and Selection Committee, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Scientist Program

(2015-Present)

• Instructor, National Space Biomedical Research Summer Bioastronautics Institute (2012-2016) • Invited participant of National Space Biomedical

Research Institute’s Acute Radiation Risk Gaps Assessment Workshop (2012)

• Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-135) Biospecimen Sharing Program Project PI: “Spaceflight effects on mouse menisci and joint soft tissue structures.”

(2011)

• Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-118). Primary Science Team Member, muscle preservation study

(2007)

• Radiation Research Society Scholars-In-Training Travel Award (2006, 2008-2011)

My research focuses on basic and clinical studies to identify mechanisms and preventive strategies for musculoskeletal injury that results from radiation therapy for cancer treatment and from reduced weight bearing and/or radiation during spaceflight. Our recently developed bone cortical thickness and radiation dose mapping imaging approach has identified that rapid bone loss (~ 1 month from start of treatment at irradiated sites) occurs clinically in cancer patients. Our goal is to target the bone-resorbing osteoclasts in order to prevent fractures, and have ongoing projects examining these responses in vitro and in both small and large animal models. I serve as

the primary mentor for a KL2-funded Career Award for an attending physician in which we are performing a prospective clinical trial aimed at preventing early and late rib fractures and pain after SBRT for lung cancer. Additionally, for NASA studies, we have designed and fabricated cages that permit radiation exposures during periods of reduced weight bearing (combined spaceflight hazard model) as a means to better simulate challenges astronauts face during long-duration missions. Importantly, these technologies can and are used in both academic research centers and at the NASA Space Radiation Lab (NSRL), for the purpose of identifying the cause and prevention of joint and skeletal damage during spaceflight, as well as other toxicity profiles (e.g., cardiac complications).

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