Rice student interns with space research institute
Poplack working to increase ability to detect dangerous heart conditions

BY BRAD THOMAS
Special to the Rice News

Rice University student Samara Poplack is getting firsthand knowledge of the human spaceflight program this summer. Also enrolled at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Poplack is one of 18 students selected to work with scientists at NASA through a National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) internship.

	Samara Poplack reviews data for a project that seeks to increase the ability to detect dangerous heart conditions that might otherwise be missed during astronaut screening. Poplack is participating in the National Space Biomedical Research Institute’s Summer Internship Program, which allows students to work with scientists at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Poplack, who is pursuing a medical degree and a master of business administration in the dual-degree program at BCM and Rice, is assigned to the Neuroautonomic Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. She is working with scientists on a project that seeks to increase the ability to detect dangerous heart conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which might otherwise be missed during astronaut screening.

Poplack said her time at JSC has left a lasting impression on her beyond research experience.

“Things that would be incredibly unusual anywhere else happen every day here,” she said. “For instance, the other day I was eating lunch outside, and I looked over and saw the lunar rover being tested only 200 yards away.”

Poplack graduated from The Kinkaid School in Houston and received her bachelor’s degree from Williams College in Massachusetts. She is slated to graduate from the BCM/Rice dual-degree program in 2011.

NSBRI’s summer internship program gives selected students an opportunity to spend 10 to 15 weeks working on projects with scientists at JSC or NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. With the addition of this year’s class, more than 100 students have now participated in this highly competitive program.

“The summer internship program allows talented students such as Samara to learn about research for human spaceflight and how these efforts benefit health care on Earth,” said Jeffrey Sutton, NSBRI director.

Funded by NASA, NSBRI is a consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The institute’s science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.

NSBRI projects address space health concerns, which include bone and muscle loss, cardiovascular changes, radiation exposure, neurobehavioral and psychosocial factors, remote medical care and research capabilities, and habitability and performance issues such as sleep cycles and lunar dust exposure. Research findings also impact the understanding and treatment of similar medical conditions experienced on Earth.

— Brad Thomas is a senior communications specialist for NSBRI.