Jocelyn Dunn
"Health and Stress monitoring throughout a long-duration simulated Mars mission"
STEW 214 CD: 9 - 10 AM
To prepare astronauts for long-duration space travel, such as missions to Mars, it is critical to develop an understanding of how long-term isolation and confinement can impact astronaut health and performance. Toward this goal, Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) conducts simulated Mars missions in an off-grid, sustainable habitat located on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. An eight-month HI-SEAS mission has recently concluded, which is the third in a series of missions researching the biological, psychological, and social adaptations that occur on simulated Mars. My research has two main objectives: 1) investigating the impacts of stress on health and performance of astronauts and 2) developing methods for health monitoring and stress management through the use of advanced wearable technology.
Bio: Jocelyn Dunn is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Her doctoral research is focused on creating technologies for data-driven health monitoring and stress management. Utilizing wearable devices that continuously collect data about sleep, diet, and exercise, Dunn is developing data analytics for dynamically identifying health and stress states. Recently, Dunn researched the health and stress levels of a simulated astronaut crew as Chief Scientist for Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS). This 8-month mission stimulated her enduring academic interests in the health challenges that astronauts face in the extreme environment of space. In 2009, Dunn received the bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, minoring in human factors and mathematics. In 2011, Dunn completed the master's degree in biomedical engineering from Purdue University with thesis on a patented biological scaffold for vascularized tissue repair and replacement.