Project Description:

• In the next decade, as we embark on prolonged space missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), addressing healthcare needs for astronauts becomes crucial. Addressing these needs, Pharmacological Countermeasures (PCMs) emerge as essential tools to tackle health challenges. Li Shean Toh’s team is at the forefront, targeting gaps identified by the ESA SciSpaceE Roadmap in areas such as adjusting to space physiology changes, resolving medication-related issues, navigating new hazards, and enhancing current PCMs. The team aims to forge novel solutions through interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with engineering, to fill these critical gaps and advance pharmaceutical technology for space explorers. Following on from last year’s UKSA Spin term project, this year we will continue the work. The goal is to continue the engineering collaborative VITA project, manufacturing of medications and space as well as to develop one project proposals targeting at least one of the identified gaps, promising to revolutionize PCM application in space exploration.

  The proposals by first reviewing literature which includes academic journals and other literature such as news and sci-fi articles to scope for potential ideas. Next, these ideas will be collated, and a think tank will be organised to brainstorm ideas with relevant stakeholders. This idea will then be finalised, and industry specialists will be sought to be interviewed to understand if these ideas have realistic potential and if they are interested to collaborate. It is anticipated we will have developed one to two project ideas focusing on one of the four gaps mentioned by the ESA SciSpace Roadmap.

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Applicant Specification:

• Applicant Specification: Student from any background

  Academic: Undergraduate/Postgraduate

  Minimum requirements:

  Student needs to have an understanding/interest in space exploration and healthcare.

  Applicant needs to be confident and fluent in spoken and written English.

  Desirable requirements:

  An understanding of space medicine

  A good general knowledge of other fields such engineering/artificial intelligence etc.

  Interest to write up the project

   Creative thinking

Minimum requirements:

• Passion and enthusiasm

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract or flexible hours to be agreed with successful candidate

• In-person Induction Event to be held on TBC date, and an in-person/hybrid Showcase Event to be held at the TBC.

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

How we work:

The School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham is ranked 8th in the world in the 2023 QS World Rankings for the subject area ‘Pharmacy & Pharmacology.’ The School of Pharmacy is also committed to providing an inclusive environment for all staff and students to enable them to achieve their potential and be the best they can be. The school provides high quality of training in diverse areas of research ranging from pharmacy practice to medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical technology.

The school trains pharmacists of the future and are recognised for research in the design and use of drugs and medicine. A pioneering, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is used to deliver sustainable solutions to global healthcare challenges. The school recently established a research cluster ‘Astropharmacy and Astromedicine,’ which addresses effective medical and pharmaceutical care delivery to space pioneers and explorers. Some of the areas that are currently addressed within the cluster in collaboration with engineering include life support technologies for sending people to Mars, assurance of medicines quality and safety when manufactured remotely and understanding the health and medicine safety issues around space travel.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you didn’t tick.