How This NASA Biologist Is Prepping Humans for Space

Scientist Sharmila Bhattacharya explains why cross-country collaboration is key to space missions such as Axiom-4

- Leslie D'Monte

Sharmila Bhattacharya, a scientist at the US space agency NASA, has long focused on a singular goal: understanding how space conditions affect living organisms and using that knowledge to protect human health in space.

For more than 25 years, she has focused on how phenomena like gravity and radiation impact tiny organisms like fruit flies and yeast, which share cellular and genetic traits with humans. These insights help develop strategies to safeguard astronauts.

Now leading science and technology utilization at NASA's Ames Research Center, she also oversees initiatives that apply science and technology to advance space exploration. "My role includes working closely with those in computing and aerospace engineering as we explore ways to foster meaningful collaborations—whether with private aerospace firms, government bodies or international partners," she told Lounge in an interview last week.

Bhattacharya was in India to speak alongside European Space Agency (ESA) flight surgeon Brigitte Godard at the Lodha Genius Programme, a joint initiative by Ashoka University and the Lodha Foundation. In their talk, "Biology: A Bridge Between Science, Medicine, and Space Exploration," they drew on their careers—from supporting astronauts to launching space experiments—to highlight how biology shapes human health in extreme environments like the International Space Station (ISS).

"Whether it's insulin for diabetes or vaccines during the covid-19 pandemic, it all begins with basic research. The process starts with understanding biology at its most fundamental level. It's no different in space science," explains Bhattacharya, for whom joining NASA was a stroke of serendipity.