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Former astronaut to speak at Research Forum

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

JOHNSON CITY – A record number of participants is expected this year for the 19th Annual Student Research Forum at East Tennessee State University April 2-4.

Dr. Rhea Seddon, a former NASA astronaut who is currently the assistant chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group, will be the keynote speaker. Her address, "Life Sciences Research in Space," will be held Thursday, April 3, at 2 p.m. in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium of the D.P. Culp University Center.

On Friday, April 4, a scientific presentation from Dr. Jean Lud Cadet will be held in the lower level auditorium of Stanton-Gerber Hall on the VA Medical Center campus beginning at noon. He is the clinical director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program for the National Institutes of Health.

Cadet has established himself as one of the leading authorities on the effects of drug abuse on the brain. His presentation, "Speed kills: basis of methamphetamine-induced cell death in the brain," is sponsored by the Grass Foundation, Society for Neuroscience.

A reception prior to Cadet's address will begin at 11:30 a.m.

During the ETSU Student Research Forum, more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, residents, and fellows will be competing and displaying their work. Awards for the top projects will be presented in conjunction with Dr. Seddon's address on April 3.

For the first time, this year's forum will include participation from students at Science Hill High School.

Seddon was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1978 and became an astronaut the following year. A three-flight veteran with more than 722 hours in space, Seddon was a mission specialist on STS-51D (Discovery) in 1985, STS-40 (Columbia) in 1991, and the payload commander on STS-58 (Columbia), which flew in 1993.

Research experiments from the three flights included how humans, animals, and cells respond to microgravity and re-adapt to Earth's gravity on return; neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal medical experiments to expand the understanding of human and animal physiology both on Earth and in space flight; experiments designed to investigate materials science, plant biology, and cosmic radiation; and tests of hardware proposed for the Space Station Freedom Health Maintenance Facility.

Seddon retired from NASA in 1997.

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