MEMP PhD Thesis Defense (9:00am): Rachel Bellisle

A Wearable Countermeasure for Musculoskeletal Deconditioning in Human Spaceflight

In the reduced gravity experienced during human spaceflight, the human body no longer experiences the constant loading provided by Earth’s gravity. Muscles atrophy due to disuse, the spine elongates, which may cause back pain and discomfort, and sensorimotor changes lead to impaired posture and locomotion. The Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit (GLCS or “Skinsuit”) is a musculoskeletal deconditioning countermeasure for spaceflight, consisting of a skin-tight garment that applies a vertical load from the shoulders to the feet. The suit aims to mitigate musculoskeletal deconditioning (potentially including spine, muscle, and sensorimotor) during exposure to microgravity by simulating some of the effects of Earth’s gravity (1G). This wearable system is intended to support human health and astronaut performance during future missions to the moon and Mars (where space for large exercise equipment may be unavailable) and to further mitigate microgravity-induced effects in current missions on the International Space Station (ISS). The high-level objectives of this research are 1) to further prepare the GLCS for operational use in human spaceflight and 2) to improve our understanding of GLCS loading and its effects on the musculoskeletal and sensorimotor systems. Human participant studies in 1G, partial gravity analogs, and the ISS were completed to address these objectives. First, this thesis aimed to design and fabricate the next-generation GLCS. Next, loading functions (insole load, shoulder load, skin pressure, and fabric strain) and subjective user experience (discomfort, mobility, exertion, and dyspnea) in the GLCS were characterized in six participants. Finally, human participant studies investigated the effects of the GLCS on neuromuscular activity (using surface EMG) and sensorimotor function (proprioception and functional performance). This work investigated the fabrication of the GLCS, the loading function, the user experience, the impacts on two physiological targets (muscle activity and sensorimotor function), and the intersection of these aspects. The results contribute to the development of the GLCS, a proposed countermeasure system for future missions to low-Earth orbit, the moon, or Mars, with the goal of maintaining the safety and health of the astronauts, ensuring that they can complete mission-critical tasks in flight and return safely back to Earth.

Thesis Supervisor (MIT):
Dava J. Newman, PhD
Director, MIT Media Lab; Apollo Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT

Thesis Supervisor (DRAPER):
Andrea K. Webb, PhD
Distinguished Scientist, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Thesis Committee Chair:
Katya Arquilla, PhD
Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder; Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT

Thesis Readers:
Seward B. Rutkove, MD
Chief, Department of Neurology, BIDMC; Professor of Neurology, HMS

Canan Dagdeviren, PhD
LG Career Development Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Associate Professor, MIT Media Lab

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Rachel Bellisle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Rachel Bellisle MEMP PhD Thesis Defense
Time: Monday, April 29, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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