Isaiah Johnson: Flying High Toward a Career in Space Medicine

现在他上大学三年级了, and his first year at 网赌平台网站 as a transfer student, Isaiah is aiming for a career that brings those two passions together in aerospace physiology.

Aerospace physiology deals with health problems specifically associated with space travel. There are a multitude of problems that can occur in space including hypoxia, 减压病, 圈闭气膨胀, and a multitude of other physiological changes that are associated with space travel.

训练他的激情

在西棕榈滩出生长大, Isaiah spent his first two years of college at two private colleges, 安柏瑞德航空大学, where he was accepted into the Aerospace Physiology program in 2018, 然后是博卡拉顿的大沼泽地大学. He spent the past three summers taking part in Project Possum, a program conducting upper-atmospheric and aeronautic research, 还有身临其境的宇航员训练. He was also accepted into the International Institute of Aeronautical Sciences.

Project Possum teaches all of the skills required to conduct research on the next generation of commercial space vehicles. It was initially designed and instructed by former astronaut instructors and Possum team scientists. Project Possum trains students in much the same way that astronauts are trained, and students receive certification showing all of the immersive programs they have completed.

通往网赌平台网站的路

“从我高中的时候就开始了, I knew I wanted to study medicine because I do have medicine nerds in my family. My mom is currently a physician working in nephrology. I wanted to pursue medicine, but I didn’t know quite which direction I wanted to take. I had a huge passion for physics and mathematics, anatomy and physiology. 问题是, how could I put all of those together and be able to have that as a career,他说.

“I remember a group from NASA came to our high school, which was a STEM school. They spoke about the growing private sector opportunities in space exploration, 主要来自科学, 技术和工程的观点. Though my interest was more about biology and medicine, 当我和他们进行私人谈话时, they told me about career opportunities for aerospace physiologists, 或者太空医生,以赛亚回忆道.

“Once I learned that its focus was on the study of the human body in space and the harsh environments that would be encountered, 我知道我找到了自己的路,他说. “他们被称为NASA的飞行外科医生. 我知道这就是我想做的. There are some flight surgeons who go into space and work directly with the astronaut crews, and there are many more who stay on the ground and instruct astronauts on what to do should a problem arise while they are in space.”

Both Embry Riddle and Everglades universities proved to be very expensive, and Isaiah was looking for a school where he could keep his debt down and that was less lecture-oriented and more interactive in nature.

Isaiah did his due diligence before transferring to New College. “I did a lot of research to make sure New College was the school for me. I visited the campus, talked with some of the professors and really liked what I saw. My parents also thought it was an awesome environment for me,他说.

“当我离开恩布里·里德尔的时候, 主要是出于经济原因, I was no longer able to major in aerospace physiology,以赛亚说. “I chose to take a different, much more affordable route. 在网赌平台网站, I am majoring in neuroscience applied mathematics.”

“At so many schools, the professor doesn’t even know your name. You are just sitting in a huge lecture hall, watching slides fly by, and basically teaching yourself. 这不是我想要的学习方式. I wanted one-on-one learning interaction, and that’s what 网赌平台网站 has provided me. 在网赌平台网站, I am able to go interact with my professor frequently, am able to establish amazing tutorials and benefit from smaller class sizes. 这正是我一直在寻找的，”以赛亚说.

“One thing I have enjoyed at New College is being able to create my own tutorials,以赛亚说. “I am a teacher’s assistant for both anatomy and physiology classes. I also have a club on campus – a carnivorous plant club, 向公众宣传捕蝇草的活动, 当他们闭上嘴的时候, 它们在制造重力. 我希望用它做什么, 虽然这需要几年的时间, 是研究如何在火星上使用捕蝇草. I am also involved in a study on fungi, its stress adaptability and how it thrives off of radiation. There is a major study underway on cultivating one particular fungi on Mars so there will be less radiation in the atmosphere should astronauts decide to explore the planet. I also am working with anatomy and physiology professor Amy Bohan on a tutorial that would create a class about space exploration in hostile environments. I don’t know any other college where I would have been able to do that,以赛亚说.

网赌平台网站毕业后

“作为我的下一步, 2024年或2025年从网赌平台网站毕业, 我要上医学院了, 希望是在阿灵顿的德克萨斯大学, where they have a specialized program in space medicine,以赛亚说.

 “在那之后, 如果我能以我想要的方式塑造我的职业生涯, 我将被聘为NASA的飞行外科医生. 当然, that means I would have to undergo additional training in order to become an astronaut, if I wanted to serve as a flight surgeon on the International Space Station. 这是一个非常挑剔的项目, but given the fact that I have completed Project Possum and received my certification, it increases my chances of getting selected for the program,他说.

Gayle Guynup is a contributor to the 书院最新消息.