Baylor College of Medicine NSBRI

The Center for Space Medicine (CSM) at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas is a leading academic space medicine research and education institution, founded in 2008 in close proximity to NASA Johnson Space Center. Baylor's CSM is distinct from (but complementary to) TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Space Health), which Baylor also leads — the Center focuses on the fundamental biomedical research and physician training aspects of space medicine while TRISH focuses on translating research into operational countermeasures. Research at the CSM covers the major health risks that astronauts face during long-duration spaceflight: space radiation's effects on cancer risk and the central nervous system, cardiovascular deconditioning from microgravity-induced fluid shift and reduced cardiac workload, bone and muscle atrophy, neuro-ocular syndrome (VIIP — Vision Impairment and Intracranial Pressure changes documented in 60%+ of long-duration ISS crew), and behavioral health/cognitive performance in isolated confined environments. The center trains the next generation of flight surgeons, space medicine physicians, and researchers through graduate programs and clinical rotations, developing the human capital pipeline for NASA, commercial spaceflight companies, and international space medical programs. Baylor's connections to NASA's flight medicine office at JSC provide access to astronaut medical data and operational experience that enriches research programs in ways inaccessible to institutions without such proximity to an active human spaceflight program.