UC Space Health Program

Our Mission

The mission of the UC Space Health program is to address the complexities of optimizing human health and medical management in Space and return the resultant knowledge to earth.  Previous human space expeditions have deepened our understanding of physical and behavioral adaptations to the Space Flight environment and the countermeasures necessary to address them.

Research and development applied to the Space Health challenge also deepen our knowledge of physiologic responses on earth, provide models of extreme environments and accelerated aging, and provide technological advances that enhance terrestrial health care. The advanced technology requirements for human space exploration on longer duration and greater distance missions contribute significantly to our capabilities in remote self-health and medical management on earth.  In collaboration with NASA and industry space health experts, including astronauts, clinicians, scientists, engineers, health tech innovators, we seek to understand how space-associated science and technology can accelerate medical innovation to optimize crew health and safety and to provide health benefits universally.

The UC system has a long history of pioneering biomedical research and a bold vision for advancing health worldwide and galaxy-wide! 

There are over 150 researchers in the UC system actively engaged in research and innovation related to advancing human space exploration. UC Space Health is a cross-campus and cross-discipline network that provides opportunities to share resources and knowledge as well as collaborate in research and funding opportunities.